Noble Pair
by firerwolf
Summary: 100 Prompt couples challenge done based on Carter/Noble One and Kat/Noble Two. T for violence.
1. 001 beginnings

**100 Couple Challenge****  
Prompt #:001 Beginnings  
Title: Forming Noble**

* * *

Carter stood in the briefing room, a bit nervous. He'd been pulled aside by Lieutenant Ambrose and Chief Mendez. They hadn't told him why he was here, they hadn't told him anything other than to wait. He was starting to wonder if he was in the right place when the door slid open. It was not the Lieutenant as he had hoped, but rather a female Spartan that he did not recognize.

The female Spartan stopped and looked at him. "I'm sorry, I must have the wrong room."

The woman had an accent that Carter couldn't quite identify. "Conference room B?" The woman nodded. "You've got the right room. You have any idea what this is about?"

The woman shook her head. "No, I was only ordered to come here." She moved into the room and stood a few feet away from Carter. "You have any idea what this is about?" Carter shook his head. "Great, standing in a room with a stranger for an unknown reason." She crossed her arms and looked away from Carter. "Kat." Carter tilted his head to the side, frowning in confusion. "My name, it's Kat. Short for Catherine. Catherine-B-three-two-zero."

Carter paused for a moment. She was from a completely different Company of Spartans then him. "Carter, Carter-A-two-five-nine."

"A? As in Alpha Company?" Kat didn't hide the surprise on her face. Carter nodded and she suddenly turned serious. She stared straight ahead at the wall, eyes unfocused. "What does the Lieutenant have planned?"

Carter shifted nervously. He didn't understand what was going on or why they were left alone in a room waiting. He glanced over at Kat and frowned. She was still staring at the wall but there was something in her eyes. She was thinking, a lot. It was the sort of blank look he'd seen on an AI once when it was running more than one task. He wondered exactly what she was thinking about.

Silence hung in the air and Carter was starting to feel a bit unsettled by the situation. The door slid open and two Spartans walked in. "Carter, what are you doing here?"

Carter recognized the two Spartans right away as fellow members of Alpha Company. "I have no idea, Richard. I was instructed to come here. What are you and Sara doing here?"

"I suppose the same thing you are." Sara smiled a bit and moved over to stand beside Cater. She glanced over at Kat. "Who is she?"

"Who is she? I think you mean 'who are you?' Then again I'm sure we could just ask Kat and she probably already intercepted the information." Two more Spartans appeared.

"Why would I have been looking into Alpha Company records?" Kat frowned at the pair. "Besides, I haven't hacked into the camp's system for weeks."

"Oh, must be a new record. You remember her ever going that long without hacking in, Brian?" The more upbeat Spartan looked over at frowning Spartan.

"Be careful or she'll hack in and change your file, Tyler. Turn you into Tiffany." Brian moved over to stand over beside Kat. "So then they are from Alpha Company?"

"Didn't I already state that? I am guessing that both of you are as clueless as us as to why we are here." Kat lowered her arms and set one hand on her hip.

"Not a single clue." Brian shrugged and leaned against the wall. "So what is your best guess as to what is going on?"

Kat took a deep breath. "Well my best guess, seeing as there are three from Alpha Company and three from Beta, a test perhaps. A three on three challenge, though I cannot be sure. There is nothing here I can use to confirm my suspicions."

Carter watched the three Spartans interact, rather intrigued. The guess was a good one but he didn't see it as being likely. "What other options do you have? I can't believe that the Lieutenant would pit the two Companies against each other. There would be no point in trying to prove one is better."

Kat tilted her head to the side. "Well, it is possible that he has a cooperative endeavor for us. Combining members of the two Companies. Perhaps to see if they are capable of working together, or simple because of a reason that we are not to know about."

Carter nodded his head. "Possible, more plausible, though, I'm not sure of the reasoning."

The door slid open again and this time all six Spartans snapped to attention as Lieutenant Kurt Ambrose and Chief Mendez walked in. The Lieutenant looked over them and Carter felt an odd feeling in his stomach. He could only label it as anticipation.

"I know that you are wondering why you are here." Kurt's serious face seemed to be carved in stone as he spoke. "From this day forward you six will be working together. You will be known as Noble Team. Carter," Carter stood up a bit straighter. "You will be team leader. You have control of the team. Lead them well."

"Yes, sir." Carter saluted.

"Get to know each other Noble team. You'll be working together for a long time." Kurt turned and moved out of the room, leaving the Spartan-IIIs.

Once the Lieutenant was gone the soldiers relaxed a bit. "Noble…I like the name." Kat smiled and turned to Carter. "So then what is our next move, leader?"

Carter felt an odd weight at her last word. He was in charge of the team. He took a deep breath and looked over his soldiers. "I say we take the Lieutenant's advice. Let's get to know each other, Noble."


	2. 002 middles

**100 Couple Challenge****  
Prompt #:002 Middles  
Title: Blame  
**

* * *

Kat sat down on the bench in the locker room. She looked down at her right arm, or what was now her right arm. Metal bits and pieces moved as her robotic fingers flexed. She would have the replacement forever, as a reminder of her failure. She curled the mechanical fingers into a fist and closed her eyes. The image of Thom standing over her, grabbing the device, then jetpacking away flashed through her mind.

She more felt him standing before her rather than heard him. She didn't look up. She was sure that he was as disappointed in her as she was in herself. Sure the plan had been considered a success, but it had carried a great cost with it.

"Kat." His tone didn't carry the scolding tone that she had expected. The single word was soft and held a slight hint of worry.

Kat didn't raise her head, continuing to stare at the floor. "Yes, Commander?" She steeled herself for whatever he may have to say. She waited for his attitude to change, for him to inform her of all the mistakes that she'd made while setting up their last mission.

It never came. He stood before her silently for a while. Just when Kat was getting annoyed by the silence, he spoke again. "Catherine, are you all right?"

Kat was surprised by the use of her full name. He hardly ever called her by it. He was probably the only member of the team that knew it was her full name. "Of course I'm all right. Why wouldn't I be?"

He took a seat on her right. "Because I know you, and I know when something is wrong." Kat let out a long breath. "Is the new arm working out for you?"

"It is working fine. Kind of fitting to me I suppose." Kat finally opened her eyes and looked down at her arm. She had always been better with technology.

She glanced over and saw his fingers flex. He wasn't one to fidget often. "I'm sorry, Kat. It's my fault."

Kat finally looked up. She stared at Carter, astonished. She didn't understand how it could be his fault. "It is not your fault, Commander. It is my own fault." She looked at his face and saw that he was serious. He really thought it was his fault.

He shook his head. "I should have prepared the team better. Because I didn't, you lost your arm and Thom is dead."

"That is not your fault, Carter." Kat raised her robotic arm so he could see it. "Neither is Thom's death. Those are my fault. I made the plan, I was the one that messed up."

Carter locked eyes with her and they remained silent, each trying to stare down the other into admitting they were wrong. His gaze softened and he looked down to her arm. "So, how different is that arm from the original?"

Kat looked down at it and shrugged. "I'm not exactly sure. Moves basically just like the old one did. Same dexterity and all that." She moved her hand and arm showing that it was as flexible as her old arm. She did a few finger exercises that the techs had taught her to increase her dexterity with the new fingers.

Carter nodded, satisfied. "Can it touch, feel temperature? It might allow you to handle items that are hotter or colder than others could."

Kat frowned and shook her head. "I do not know. I don't think it has any sensors to allow me to get any kind of touch. I will make a note to find out what extreme temperatures the metals of my arm can handle." She lay down her right arm and held up her left hand, staring at it.

Kat was completely absorbed in staring at her hand. Carter watched her, seeing the look of loss in her eyes. She might not say it aloud, but she missed her right arm. He looked down at the robotic arm. He reached over carefully and lightly ran a finger over the metal. It was cold and smooth, so different from her skin.

"What do you think you are doing, Commander?" Carter quickly retracted his hand. Kat glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.

"Nothing." Carter looked away from her. He cursed himself for her having noticed. He wasn't sure if he'd used to much pressure, if it had shown too much affection, or been to sentimental.

"Good, because anything other than that might be inappropriate."

Carter let his arm move over so that his hand was right beside Kat's. She looked over at him and he locked eyes with her. "I'm sorry, Kat."

Kat took a deep breath and once more shook her head. "You have nothing to apologize for. I do not blame you for this." She shifted her robotic arm, knowing that he would feel the movement. "If I did then I would have put in for a transfer. I don't plan on doing that any time soon." She stood up and looked down at her Commander. "Come on, we have more work to do." Carter nodded and stood up. The two walked out of the locker room, joining back up with what was left of Noble Team.


	3. 003 ends

**100 Couple Challenge****  
Prompt #:003 Ends  
Title: Sacrifice  
**

* * *

"Noble Leader, seek immediate medical attention." Dot's calm voice filtered through the speakers. Carter didn't respond. "Noble Leader, please respond."

Plasma bolts hit the interior of the pelican. Carter took in a deep breath, trying to collect himself, and his chest burned. He felt like he couldn't breathe. Carter reached up, hitting the release on his helmet. He pulled it off and tossed it to the floor of the pelican. He felt tired, and could taste nothing but copper.

"Please respond, Sierra Two-Five-Nine. You are alarming me." Dot's voice held a bit of a worried tone.

Her voice snapped Carter back to the situation. He gripped the controls before him tightly. "Not sure how long she's gonna stay together. Skies are jammed up anyways. Gotta get you off her, Lieutenant." He looked over his shoulder at Noble Six. He'd been unsure of the replacement only days ago, though it felt like centuries.

"Sir, you—" Six tried to voice her worry.

Carter didn't let the Spartan finish. "Don't wanna hear it. Get the Package to the _Autumn_."

"Done." She seemed so confident in that one word, though Carter wasn't as sure.

"Not yet, it's not… Emile, go with her. It's a ground game now." He hated to be splitting himself from what little of his team he still had. He had to face the facts though, and they didn't have the time to stop, and she needed protection. They could not fail in this mission.

"It's been an honor, sir." Emile's voice was controlled as he pounded his left fist against his right shoulder.

"Likewise…I'll do what I can to draw their fire." Carter kept his voice as strong as he could. The last thing that he needed to do now was give his team reason to worry. He leaned back, looking at the pair, at Six. "Six. That AI chose you… She made the right choice." He meant every word of it. In the short time Six had proven to be the ideal soldier to carry the precious package. He watched the pair move to the back of the pelican and once more had a pang of regret that he would not be joining them. "On my mark!" He held up three fingers, two, one. "Mark!"

The two soldiers jumped from the pelican, and Carter felt like the last bit of him was going with them. He spotted the banshees on his tail and cursed. He had to try to give the two of them a chance. He tried to move the pelican as best he could in order to try to lose the banshees. He had the pelican dive down and moved between a pair of rocks, barely making it. One of the banshees clipped one of the rocks, and the hit sent it crashing into the other banshees.

Drop pods fell from the sky and the great bulk of a Scarab fell to the ground, trying to attack the two soldiers. "Oh, no, you don't." He fired on the Scarab's back, drawing its attention. He switched to the team COM. "Get the Package out of there. Remember your objective!"

He maneuvered out of the way and tried to get away from the Scarab. He spotted the mongoose of his team and saw the enemies ahead. "Enemy forces blocking the road up ahead."

He was helpless above them, unable to do anything about the group of Covenant in his team's way. He cursed it. He had to do something.

_There is nothing you can do, Commander_. Kat's voice was clear in his mind. He must have really been in bad shape if he was hearing voices. _How many times to I have to tell you to worry about you. I'm not there to worry for you anymore._

Carter shook his head. "I can't worry about me, I haven't completed the mission." He couldn't help but smile and chuckle. "I bet if you were still around you would have come up with a better plan."

_Maybe more outlandish, but not better._ Carter heard the amusement in Kat's voice. He could even see the smirk that would be on her face. Her voice suddenly became soft, a tone he had only heard from her a few times. _You have done all that you can for them. They will complete the mission, they will not let you down. They are Spartans. I am more worried about you right now. _

Carter smirked. "You always were looking out for me." He took a deep breath and moved his pelican to make another sweep toward his team. "I miss you, Kat. Maybe that's why I'm hearing your voice." It was the first time he admitted it to himself. Admitted how much his Noble Two's death had affected him.

"Noble leader, are you all right?" Dot's voice seemed curious.

"As good as I can be, Dot." Carter's blood chilled as he looked ahead of the ground team's path. "Noble! You've got a…situation."

The Scarab moved in the path of the two Spartans on the ground. "Mother…We can get past it, Sir!" Carter couldn't see Emile, but he knew that he was willing to take that chance.

"No, you can't. Not without help." Carter angled his pelican back toward the Scarab.

"Commander, you don't have the firepower!" Emile's voice was defiant.

The Scarab started to charge its main cannon and Carter passed over it, firing at it to try to get its attention. The main gun stopped firing, exactly what he had hoped for. "I've got the mass." The four words were cold as they left his lips.

"Solid copy. Hit 'em hard, boss."

"You're on your own, Noble… Carter out." Carter turned the pelican and sped toward the Scarab. He switched off the COM. "I'm coming, Kat." The pelican rammed the side of the Scarab. The pelican and Scarab burst into flames. A pained scream from the Scarab could be heard as explosions rippled through it. The alien vehicle tipped and toppled over the edge. The path was once more clear for Emile and Six. The melting wreckage tumbled down the side of the cliff, taking the body of the Commander of Noble team with it. He had proudly died, giving Six and Emile a chance to complete the mission, to deliver Cortana to the _Pillar of Autumn_ where she would then help discover and destroy the first Halo and stand by the Master Chief until the end of the human-covenant war. A seeming small sacrifice to give humanity the chance it needed to survive.

Years later a monument would be erected on Reach in memory of Noble team. Carter would stand proudly at the head of his team, the commander of Noble. Behind him and to the left stood his right hand, the genius of Noble team, Kat, forever at his side.


	4. 004 Firsts

004. Firsts

Kat leaned back and looked out at the stars above them. She glanced over at the man next to her. "It has been forever since we have done anything like this."

Carter nodded his head slowly, not looking away from the stars. "There hasn't been much time to do things like this. When was the last time?" He frowned, unable to recall where or when.

"It was back when we were first starting as a team. I don't recall which planet though." Kat tilted her head to the side. "Though at that time we were waiting for evac, and there were Covenant cruisers in the sky." She turned toward the stars, almost able to see the sleek alien ships hanging above them.

"If I remember correctly, that time we had company."

"Oh, Richard was half in shock, I don't think he counted as company." Kat pulled off one of her gauntlets and ran her hand through the grass. They spent so much time in their armor sometimes she forgot how the world felt around her.

Carter turned his attention to her. "You remember the first time that our team went out on a mission?"

Kat smiled slightly and nodded her head. "I questioned every order that you gave us. About halfway through the mission you made it clear I should stop."

"At least you stopped."

"I did because I realized it wasn't helping. I still thought the second half of your plan was stupid." Kat lay down on the grass. She tugged a few blades out of the ground and held them up, letting the wind blow them away.

"My plan was stupid? Remember the first op I let you talk me into? That was a crazy stunt."

"You're the one that agreed to it."

"Why I agree to any of your plans is beyond me." Carter turned back to the stars. He didn't want to admit it but he knew that Kat had a persuasive power over him. She could get him to agree to things that he would think ridiculous if they'd come from anyone else. "Remember the first death on our team?"

"How could I forget it? Tyler was a good soldier but he should have followed orders. Such a foolish thing to do." Kat clenched her fists and, to try to keep herself calm, moved her hands behind her head.

"We got a good replacement though. Strange to think that Jake was the first replacement in our team. He managed to stay with us for a long time. Though I remember how reluctant I was at the time." Carter shifted one of his legs so it was bent at the knee and rested his elbow on it.

"It was only the first of many. Each time I feel more and more reluctant to have someone take the open place." Kat grew quiet as she looked over at Carter. "It is a bit depressing to think that we are all that is left of the original team. Do you remember the first Covenant you killed?"

Carter nodded his head ever so slightly. "Yes, it was a jackal. If I remember correctly, Sara had shot its foot and I shot it in the head. I have to admit, it was more satisfying than killing any human could be. What about you? Remember your first Cove?"

"That's a good thing. You shouldn't enjoy killing other humans. We should be trying to save them." Kat looked up to the sky. "I don't really remember my first Covenant kill. I remember it was when we were set to destroy that base camp but I do not remember the first shot." She sat up and looked over at her leader. She paused for a moment and her tone became quieter, a bit hesitant. "Do you remember the first time we—."

Her words were cut off as the screen on Carter's left forearm flashed to life. He shifted his arm reading over the message. Noble One stood and slipped his helmet back on. "Come on Noble Two. There's work to be done."

Kat sighed and stood up, slipping on her own helmet. "There's always work to do. It's not like this is the first time that a relaxing moment has been spoiled by work." The two Spartans moved off down the hill toward the base and their new mission.


	5. Friends

005 friends

"Why do you have to be so difficult?" Carter glared at the female Spartan before him. "I can't have you undermining me like that all the time, especially while we're in combat." He was furious. It was obvious from the look on his face, stance, and clenched fists.

Kat crossed her arms, watching him. She'd known this was coming after Brian joined Kat in questioning Carter's plan. "I don't see what the big deal is."

"You don't see what the big deal is? You are questioning my orders, which causes others to question my orders." Carter took a step toward her, trying to be intimidating.

Kat met his eyes, not backing down from his glare. "And how is that an issue? We should always be sure that if there are flaws in a plan we point them out before the ignorance of our leaders gets us killed. There is nothing unhealthy about questioning command."

"There is when it undermines the confidence my soldiers have in me." Carter took another step closer to her. She backed up, more because she was uncomfortable with him being so close, rather than fear. "The Lieutenant Commander made me the leader of this team, not you."

"Well, maybe that was a mistake." Kat jammed a finger into his chest. "Have you not realized that after I question your command and you fix the holes the team is more willing to follow your plans? Keep in mind that half of our soldiers are from Beta Company. They have no reason at all to trust you."

"We don't always have time to stand around and have a question and answer sessions about every plan."

"And in those cases, I do not question you. Face it, sir." The word 'sir' held a mocking tone to it. "This is not like leading a team during training. Our lives are on the line out there." She shook her head. "The team doesn't trust you yet, I don't trust you yet. You are good at snap decisions, I don't question those. There is just too much that you leave out of explaining your larger plans. Eventually, I won't have to ask these questions. They are things that you will answer, expecting me to ask them."

"Don't act like you are doing me a favor."

"I am doing this to help you. I'm trying to help you learn to make them trust you. Why do you keep acting like we are enemies?"

"Why do you keep acting like an enemy?" Cater took another step forward and Kat took a retreating step, her back hitting the wall.

"I'm not an enemy, I'm trying to be your friend." She shoved him back roughly. "You're the one who acts like you don't trust us."

Carter hesitated. He admitted that he was new to leading. He had led the small fireteam he had been a part of, but that was nothing like leading Noble Team. He took a deep breath. "Do you really think that this is going to make the team trust me?"

"Ha, weren't you there for that last mission? When Brian questioned a part of your plan, Tyler told him to trust you. Alpha team is easy. You already have their trust. The big step there was Tyler trusting you. A Beta Company Spartan." Kat smiled, triumphantly. "You have the making of a great leader, Carter. You just need to learn a thing or two first."

Carter shifted a bit, not sure if he was comfortable with her using his name. He looked around, sure that they were alone. "So then you aren't my enemy?"

Kat shook he head. "No, I'm not. I'm your friend." She slipped to the side, away from him. "I got your back."

Carter watched her walk out of the room, smiling to himself. He knew Sara and Richard, but they weren't his friends. It felt good to have a friend at his back in Noble.


	6. 071 Broken

071 Broken

Carter carried her limp body out toward the evac point. He had refused to leave her behind. Too many times had he been forced to leave fallen soldiers behind. This was different though. Carter would have fought through thousands of Covenant to get to her body, to bring it back with him.

He looked out at the proud city that had once been New Alexandria. What remained of the city was burning and in crumbles. Carter stood, looking up at the sky. He could barely make out the figures of Covenant cruisers in the sky above them. He looked down at her body, robotic arm hanging limply.

He was glad that Kat would never see the glassing of a planet. The first one he'd seen had broken his heart. To watch a world be destroyed as almost too much, even for a battle-hardened Spartan.

Still, something had been broken with her death. He had depended on her to be his strength, and a part of his confidence was broken. Kat had been by his side since the start, helped to make him the leader that he was at that moment.

Now he stood, holding her broken body, staring out at the broken city. He wasn't sure what he was going to do. She had asked him only minutes before if they had already lost. At the time he would have said no, that they still had a chance. Now, as he held her limp body in his arms, he would have said it was too late. As though the moment she died, so did hope for the planet.

He looked down at the single hole in her face plate, the cracks spreading out like a spider web from the hole. One single round, one lucky shot by some skirmisher, coupled with their downed shields had taken her from him. That one needle rifle round had broken his heart, taken away half of who he was.

He may be broken, but he knew that he couldn't show it. He had to be strong in the eyes of his team. Inside he was breaking, bit by bit without Kat to keep him together. He would keep it hidden though, for as long as he could. He'd hide his broken heart and mind under his armor. This fight wasn't quite over yet. It may have been lost, but not over.

Carter set Kat's body down on the ground. His team moved around them, turning their backs to their commander. He was grateful for it. He knelt down beside her body, letting himself have a moment with his fallen. He reached over, running a hand over her metal arm. He didn't dare remove her helmet and see what might be below it. Carter closed his eyes, letting himself see her face the way it was meant to be, smiling up at him.

#

Kat stared up at Carter and chuckled at him. "I really can't see it? I mean, it seems impossible." She shook her head. "It would be wrong to not have your voice in my ear telling me what to do."

"Why would it matter? You don't listen to my orders anyway," Carter shot back, shifting so that he slid down to sit beside her. "Though, honestly, I can't imagine not having you around to put together near suicidal ops."

"I don't think that I could find another commander that would listen to my plans." Her smile softened a bit. "Really, I don't think I can see myself fighting without out it, without being under your command."

Carter shook his head. "I can't either. Really, if I didn't have you watching my back I'd probably get myself killed. Not paying attention, get myself all busted up."

"I know that I probably wouldn't survive without you shouting at me to watch my back. So then I suppose it is agreed. If one of us dies, the other isn't going to be around much longer." Kat laughed, and the sound was like music. It was rare for a Spartan to laugh, and Carter had only heard it a few times before.

Carter chuckled as well. "Yeah, I'd give the other person a few hours max, maybe a day if they can pack themselves full of bio-foam." Kat laughed again and that was exactly how Carter wanted to remember her. Light, relaxed, and all his.

#

The laughter faded and Carter opened his eyes. He stared down at her, switching off his COM. "I meant it Kat. I'll die without you."


	7. 010 Years

010 Years

Kat set down a small cupcake on the table in front of Carter. Carter looked up at her and watched as she sat down next to him. "What's this?"

"Oh, come on, you have to know what a cupcake is. I swiped it from the kitchen." Kat smiled as she teased her superior officer.

Carter frowned at her. "I know it's a cupcake. I mean what is it about? You know we don't really eat sweets."

"Oh, come on, I think I should be offended." Kat put on a mocking look of hurt. "It's our five year anniversary." Carter shifted a bit and Kat shook her head. "I mean the anniversary of when Noble team was first created."

"And you've decided to celebrate that with a cupcake?" Carter raised an eyebrow. "A bit odd, even for you, Kat."

"Actually, I thought it was rather normal. Most people celebrate anniversaries with sweets and such. I thought it might be fitting." She reached out, wiping a bit of icing off of the cupcake. "What's wrong, don't like it?"

Carter watched as she brought her finger up to her mouth and moved it into her mouth, sucking off the icing. "Stop it, Kat." He looked away, staring down at the cupcake. "I don't see why you're trying to do something for this. It has only been five years."

Kat removed her finger from her mouth. "Yes, five years and three teammates later, it is a good thing to celebrate living." She smirked at him as she lightly bumped her shoulder against his. To anyone else it would look like an accident, but Spartans didn't bump into each other on accident. "You're just sad that it's the forming of Noble that I'm trying to celebrate." She smirked at him. "I bet you wish that we were celebrating—."

Carter cut her off by putting a hand up. "Don't go there, Kat. That's not something we celebrate, or want to celebrate." He picked up the cupcake and peeled the wrapper from part of it. He took a bite and was satisfied as Kat smiled at him.

"Happy anniversary, Commander. May we have another year to celebrate ahead of us." Kat stood up and moved off.

Carter watched walk away, leaving him to finish his cupcake. Though he wished she'd stayed around to at least properly celebrate with him.


	8. 013 Love

013 Love

It wasn't conventional love, but a different form of love. It was the kind of love that could only exist between two Spartans. Two soldiers who had a bond that had been made deeper by years of combat. Having gone through hell together they know each other better than the average married couple. They didn't need words, only glances and slight motions to convey more than words ever could.

It was a love that could never be spoken, never be acted on. A bond that had to be hidden under thick armor plating, buried deep down under protocol and rules that all outlawed it. Still, it was undeniably there. They could try to ignore it, but it would be like ignoring apart of who they were. It would always be there. No amount of denial could change that. No amount of willpower could make them feel any different.

She knew his orders before he gave them. He knew that she would always have his back and he was making the right choice with her as his second in command. She could always look to him as her rock and he could always look to her for support.

Their love wasn't physical, not like normal love. Their libido had been suppressed by their augmentations so long ago. They didn't have hot meet-ups in closets where no one would ever find them. They didn't need those kinds of things. Just sitting beside each other was more than enough.

When she wasn't around, he would find himself wondering if she was all right. When he wasn't around, she would find herself always looking over her shoulder hoping he'd be there. When they were together, everything was right in their world. Everything seemed to flow perfectly and even when injured, it seemed like they could fight on forever.

Their love was not one that others could understand. Others acted like they understood, but they could never understand how deeply each knew the other. Without having explored they knew each other's bodies. They knew how to ease the worry of the other. They knew just how to calm the other down when they were upset. They'd seen deeper sides of each other than any human would ever even get glimpse of.

It was normal love. It was Spartan love.


	9. 043 Confession

043 Confession

"Don't say it, Kat." Carter held up her hand to stop her protest. "Just don't say it."

The calm look in Kat's eyes changed to fiery anger. "Why not? It's just words." Her words were like venom in his ears. What had been a relaxing moment between them had changed very fast into an argument. "Why are you so afraid of words?"

"I'm not afraid," Carter defended. He looked away from her, not able to bear the anger she was aiming at him.

"Then what are you so afraid of? Some words won't change anything." Her voice was a bit louder. Her volume suddenly dropped. "Admit it, Commander. You're afraid of me saying it."

Carter turned back to her, surprised by the look in her eyes. She still looked angry, as though she could stab him at any moment. Under that, though, there was the hint of hurt. "If they're just words, then why do they matter so much to you?"

"That should be obvious." Kat locked eyes with him. "Admit that you're afraid of me saying it."

"I don't see why I should admit anything if you won't say why it matters." Carter crossed his arms, trying to stand up taller and look intimidating. He knew it wouldn't work; she knew him too well and would know it was a show.

"I would think me admitting why it matters would be as bad as saying those words that you are so afraid of," Kat shot back. "At least I'm not afraid of words."

Carter broke his gaze from her. She was right; it would be like saying those words to admit why they mattered, to either of them. He took a step toward her. "Catherine, I—."

Kat put a hand over his mouth, silencing him. "No, if I don't get to say it you don't." She removed her hand. They stood in silence for a few seconds. Kat then turned and started to walk out of the room. She stopped partway and didn't turn around. "Commander, the Lieutenant Commander made the right choice making you leader." She moved out of the room.

Carter stared at the door. That would have to be a good enough confession for her. Because he couldn't let her confess what they both knew.


	10. 066 Romantic

066 Romantic

Kat watched as a male soldier smiled at a female soldier across the room from her. She frowned as the male soldier presented a collection of colorful flowers to the woman. A blush was evident on her face, and the man smiled even wider. Kat huffed. She saw no point for such flashy actions. It was all just a show, the man claiming the woman as his in front of all the other soldiers.

Kat leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms over her chest. She scowled as the metal of her right arm squeaked. She hated to be on base, but they were waiting for their orders and a possible replacement for Thom, though Kat didn't want a replacement. She'd forgotten again to get oil to take care of the parts of her prosthetic.

She turned her attention back to the scene before her. She didn't see why women wanted the flashy actions that so many of them considered to be romantic. Most of it seemed to be based off of ancient rituals that all revolved around a man possessing a woman. Why they would want things like that she did not understand.

Kat glanced to her side as Carter sat down. He didn't speak right away, just sat staring at the scene before them. Kat uncrossed her arms, cursing as her right arm squeaked again. She saw him and felt him shift in the seat beside her. She waited but was surprised as he didn't scold her for not taking care of her arm.

"What exactly is going on?" Carter seemed only partially interested. From his tone Kat guessed that that wasn't what he wanted to talk about.

"Some guy making a fool of himself over a woman." Kat shook her head slightly. "Is there something you need, Commander?"

"Yes." Carter grabbed her right hand and flipped it palm side up. The action wasn't violent, it was gentle, as though he were afraid he might break her arm if he used too much force. He set down an object in her hand and her fingers reflexively clutched the oil container. "I need you to take care of that arm. I don't want you being shot by a sniper due to that squeak giving you away."

Kat looked down at the container and then back up at Carter as he stood. "Yes, Commander."

She watched as he left, then looked down at the container of oil. There was a faint hint of a smile on her face.


	11. 059 Kiss

059 Kiss

"I can't believe you were so reckless." Kat watched as Carter paced in front of her. He seemed to do that a lot. He was angry, but there was something else to it this time. It was just barely there, but Kat noticed it.

"What's the big deal? I go against your orders all the time. You don't usually get this upset." Kat set her hands on her hips. "Why is this time any different?"

"Because this time you could have died." Carter stopped pacing, standing before her. For once he actually looked the imposing leader that he could be. He was dead serious. "Do you understand how big of a risk you took?"

"I took Brian with me," Kat tried to defend. "I didn't die, so I don't see what the problem is."

"The problem is that Brian is in the med bay, and that could have just as easily been you." Carter rubbed at his temple.

"But it wasn't me." Kat frowned at him. For once in her life she was actually afraid of Carter. His posture was stiff, and his movements seemed to be tense, like he had a lot of frustration that he need to let out, and she was the closest target.

"But it could have been." Carter took a step toward her. She refused to back down, staying where she stood. There was something in Carter's eyes, something that Kat couldn't quite identify. She would almost identify it as panic, but she'd never seen the man as anything other than calm under pressure. "I could have lost you."

Kat frowned; his breath was strained and his hands were clenched. In a flash of motion he moved forward. His hand moved to the back of her head, pulling her toward him. His lips collided with hers, catching her by complete surprise.

The kiss was rough, unpracticed. His nails dug into the back of her skull, trying to pull her closer. Kat's eyes closed as she returned the kiss. She could smell his scent, sweat from the recent exercise of the battle and a bit of scorched metal. His other hand moved to her waist and pulled her closer as he deepened the kiss. It conveyed everything that he didn't have words for or didn't dare say. She could taste a hint of blood on his tongue as it invaded her mouth. It was then that Kat had a word for the look that had been in his eyes. It had been fear—worry that she would have died.

Kat's mind swam. She felt herself swept up in the moment, feeling her temperature rise and her cheeks burn. Her hand moved up his armor, grabbing his chest plate to pull herself closer. Her other hand slipped up to his head, running over the short cut hair. She wanted this so badly; she wanted more than this. The rational side of her brain fought for control, to make them stop. That was when it hit her—they couldn't be doing this. Logic struggled to gain control over her basic need to have him closer, to have more of Carter.

Her hands suddenly became a force against him. She pushed him away. She'd pushed so hard that his back hit the wall, leaving him five feet away from her. Carter managed to stay on his feet. There was a look of horror on his face. "Catherine—!"

She didn't let him finish. Kat turned around and quickly walked out of the room.


	12. 011 lovers

011 Lovers

Carter knocked at the entrance to the workspace. Without waiting for an answer he walked into the room, shutting and locking the door behind him. Kat had retreated to the room, to her work space while she made modifications to some of their armor components. "Kat, we need to talk."

Kat turned around, arms crossed over her chest tightly. "No, we don't. We don't have anything to talk about."

"Yes, we do." He frowned as he stared into his own reflection in her face plate. "Kat, take your helmet off." She shifted her position, but didn't remove her helmet. She didn't trust him. That fact alone stung more than if she'd shot him.

Kat finally reached up, removing her helmet. She held it loosely in her hands, staring at it to avoid looking at Carter. "So, what exactly do we have to talk about, Commander?"

"We have to talk about what happened." She shifted again and he reached up, rubbing at the back of his neck.

"I have no idea what you are talking about." Kat set her helmet down on a nearby table.

"You know full well what I'm talking about. We can't just ignore it, Kat." Carter moved forward and leaned against the table. Kat moved along the table as far away as she could get from him without making it obvious that she was trying to avoid him. "Kat, it was a mistake. I'm sorry."

"No kidding, it was a mistake!" Kat spat out the words. She paced across the room, moving as far away from Carter as she physically could be. Her fingers clutched at her arms, trying to keep herself under control. Her head was shaking slightly back and forward as she shifted in place. She took a deep breath and relaxed a bit before she spoke again. "If it was a mistake, then we'll just never talk about it. It never happened."

"Right; it never happened." Carter wished that didn't have to be the case. He'd enjoyed it, more than he had expected. The feel of her against him, her lips against his, it had been like a dream. He regretted that it would be their only time, the only time it could ever be allowed to happen. He wished that he hadn't messed it up so badly. It had been rough and he'd had no idea what he was doing. There had been love in it, though, and she had returned it. It had given him hope, hope that he didn't need, and that didn't help. It had caused him to spend several hours trying to figure out if they could make it work. If only they could keep it from everyone and still indulge in the love between them… He'd let his head get filled with thoughts of being close to her, being a couple, becoming lovers. In the end it all came crashing down as rational thought got in the way each and every time.

Carter took a step toward her and saw her flinch. He wasn't sure if it was that she didn't trust him, or she didn't trust herself. At the moment he wasn't even sure if he trusted himself with being too close to her. Her eyes locked with his and he saw a hint of the same regret in her eyes. They both knew that there would never be another chance. They had a duty, and that duty forbid it ever happening again.

He moved across the room until he was standing only a couple feet away from her. To her credit, she didn't back down, though her discomfort showed on her face. It was palpable in the air between them. "It can never happen again. It will never happen again." Kat looked down, her breaths becoming deep as she listened. "We will never speak of what happened." Carter's voice became harder and colder with each word. "We are teammates and friends, but never anything more." The last words came out as an order.

Kat looked up, her eyes cold, but still holding that hint of rebellious nature that caused her to disobey him on occasion. "Understood, _Commander_."

Carter nodded, satisfied. She understood and he understood. They had a duty, and as a Spartan, duty would always come first. Carter turned and moved to the door. He unlocked the door and glanced back at the Lieutenant Commander. Kat turned and walked back to her workbench, picking up her helmet and sitting down on the single chair. Carter walked out of the door, leaving Kat to repair her armor.


	13. 038 threesome

038 Threesome

Kat ran across the scorched ground, zigging and zagging out of the way of plasma shots. She took one great push and leapt off of the hill, down to the courtyard below. She sprinted across the open area toward the two markers that showed where Emile and Carter were.

The Lieutenant Commander moved behind a wall, pausing for a moment to turn and shoot a few of the skirmishers on the roofs around her that were taking aim. She then turned toward the two markers and started to run again. "Commander, I'm on my way."

"_Double time it, Kat. We have wraith tanks closing in our position and need the assistance_," Carter ordered.

"Understood, sir." Kat activated the override she'd built into her armor, doubling her speed. She reached the top of the hill and came up on the cave that the Spartans were using for cover. She ran along the side of the rock wall, holding up her rifle over her head. Carter flashed a green light.

Kat nodded to Carter and entered the cave. She stopped a few feet in. "What happened?"

Emile kicked at a rock. "Tons of plasma nades went off. Crushed most of our gear. Big problem is it covered our laser."

"So how are we going to take care of those wraiths?" Kat looked from Noble Four to Noble One.

"We've got some anti-tank mines. We're planning on placing them at key points and letting the wraiths blow themselves up." Carter hefted a sack filled with the mines. The explosives could tear through the armor of a scorpion tank.

"Well, then let's get to work." Kat grabbed two of the mines and Carter transferred the placement map through their Team COM. Kat moved to place her mines. "Putting these kind of close, Commander."

"We have to. The ground further out is too burnt. We wouldn't have any way of hiding them any further out than here." Carter started to make an indent in the ground so that his mine wouldn't be as obvious.

"We'll need somewhere to hide until they have hit the mines. We don't have our cave anymore." Kat finished placing her first mine, moving on to place the second.

"We already got that covered." Emile ran back toward the cave and disappeared, seeming to vanish into the wall.

Kat finished placing her second mine when she spotted the purple tanks on the path toward them. "I have visual on the wraiths." She turned and dashed back toward the cave, where she'd seen Emile go. She reached the entrance of the cave and gazed about, not spotting her fellow soldier. She turned to see Carter running toward her.

Carter moved over to Kat and pushed her back, into a crevice in the rock wall. The stone was one solid piece, ensuring that it could take some damage. The back of Kat's armor hit something else metal. She looked over her shoulder and saw the familiar carved skull of Emile. Carter appeared in front of her, squeezing into the crevice with them. They were crammed in, Kat compressed between the chest plates of the two male Spartans. The ground shook below them as the wraiths opened fire. Kat could see hints of blue light behind Carter and she grabbed his armor, trying to pull him in further to safety. Carter leaned toward her, trying to shield her as heat from the plasma projectiles washed over the trio.

They remained crammed together in the small space until they heard a series of explosions and the plasma fire stopped. They had remained silent for a few minutes before Emile stared to laugh.

"And what exactly is so funny?" Kat's voice held a sharp edge to it, warning the other Spartan to choose his words carefully.

Emile didn't seem to notice. "If an ODST could see us right now, it would spread through the troops like wildfire!"

Kat paused for a moment, looking forward at Carter, whose helmet was tilted to the side in confusion. After a moment Kat realized what Emile was referring to. The three Spartans were alone, in a dark cramped space, Kat pinned between the two males. She realized instantly how compromising of a position they were in.

Kat pushed Carter away from her and she moved out of the crevice. "Get your mind out of the gutter," she snapped. "I'm going to go see if there is any more Covenant on the way." She stormed out of the cave.

Carter watched her leave before turning to frown at Emile. Emile was still laughing to himself and shrugged his shoulders.

"Stop it, soldier." Carter's voice was ice cold, almost overly harsh. Carter turned and walked out of the cave. Emile sighed and shook his head, trailing after Noble One like a scolded dog.


	14. 034 Christmas

034 Christmas

The whole secret Santa idea might not have been the best idea Carter ever had. It had been an attempt to use the holiday to fully welcome the new members of Noble team. Emile and Thom were good soldiers, but they didn't seem to feel like they were really part of the team.

On top of it all, Emile had gone the extra mile. He'd 'borrowed' some Christmas decorations from the store room. There were wreaths hanging from the walls, little white lights strung around the room from corner to corner. A plastic Santa stood in the corner.

Carter stood by the door of their barracks, watching his team. The team had exchanged gifts earlier in the day. Carter had gotten lucky, having chosen Emile's name. He had gotten a new Kukri knife for the violent Spartan. He even included a special shoulder armor with a built in sheath for the weapon. He had to admit it had been hard for them to really figure out what constituted a gift. They didn't have money, so most of the gifts were specialized equipment.

Emile had gotten Tara, who he gifted with a collection of bobby pins and hair ties. She had always been complaining about how her hair would get in the way in situations. Tara had gotten Thom as her secret Santa. She gave him an ammunition pack that had the Noble team symbol stitched on. Carter wasn't sure where she'd found the time to do that. Thom had pulled Richard and had given him a brand new sniper rifle with a few modified scopes and equipment. Richard had pulled Kat, though Carter didn't know what he'd given her. He'd given it to her in private earlier in the day. She'd refused to let any of them know what he'd given her, which made Carter uneasy. She didn't keep things from him.

That meant that Kat had gotten his name for the event. He was interested in seeing what she had made or gotten for him. He didn't have any idea what she would be able to give him. He also hadn't seen her for most of the day. He'd only seen her once earlier, when Richard had pulled her aside to give her his gift.

Kat entered the room and stopped as soon as she spotted Carter beside her. She looked around the room then back to Carter. Kat pulled out a small box that was wrapped in the decorative paper that Emile also 'borrowed' from the supplies. "Merry Christmas, Commander."

Carter took the box from her. "I think I'll open it later." He slipped it into one of the pouches on his belt.

Emile chuckled to the side and Carter and Kat looked over toward him. The new soldier pointed up and Noble One and Two looked up to see a plant hanging above them.

"What is that?" Kat frowned and looked back at Emile.

"They call it mistletoe." Emile chuckled a bit louder. "It's an old holiday tradition. You hang it in a room, and if two people stand under it together, they have to kiss."

Carter and Kat looked at each other. Kat then turned back to Emile. "That's a stupid tradition."

"Yeah, but tradition is tradition. You don't break tradition. Get to locking lips." Emile leaned back and smiled at them.

"That is completely ridiculous." Kat narrowed his gaze at him. "That tradition must be thousands of years old."

"All the more reason not to go against them." Tara smiled sweetly. "Come on, Lieutenant, get in the spirit of the season."

Kat hesitated for a moment. She sighed and turned to Carter, stretching up a bit, to kiss him on the cheek.

"Hey, hey, no one said it could be on the cheek." Emile spoke up again. "It has to be on the lips. That's the tradition."

"I highly doubt that." Kat stood before Carter and looked at him.

"I think he's right." Thom shrugged his shoulders. "I think tradition says it has to be lip to lip."

Kat was about to protest when Carter let out a somewhat annoyed sound. He leaned down and brushed his lips over hers for only a fraction of a second. He straightened back up and looked over at the other Spartans. "Good enough?"

"Yeah, that seems to go with tradition." Emile relaxed against the wall, seeming to take great joy in the discomfort that hung in the air.

Carter nodded. "Merry Christmas, Noble." He turned and walked out of the room, leaving a still embarrassed Kat standing in the doorway.

Carter made his way to the laboratories. He stopped in to check in on their armor upgrades. They were supposed to receive some new test equipment. While he waited for the technicians to get back to him on the status, he pulled out the gift that Kat had given him. He tore off the paper carefully and opened up the small box. He pulled a small object out of the box. It was a medallion, engraved with the symbol of Noble team. The metal was tinted blue and slightly scorched. He recognized it as being a part of the shrapnel from his first suit of armor.

He couldn't help but smile a little bit. He didn't know where Kat had gotten it, or how she'd made it into the Noble symbol. He noticed the chain attached to it and slipped the necklace over his head. It was the best gift she could have given him.


	15. 037 Hurt

037 Hurt

The two Spartans ran into the canyon. The sounds of ghosts behind them could be heard, but they were running too fast. They needed cover, and quick. Carter moved to the side of the canyon, grabbing Kat and pulling her with him, under a ledge. Their armor blended into the shadows. Carter pulled her up against the wall as flat as he could.

They stood completely still until the ghosts had passed and sped off into the distance. Even as the sounds faded, Carter remained where he was, pinning Kat to the wall. Kat shifted, feeling his full weight against her. "Commander?" Carter didn't reply. His head rested against the rock wall.

Kat moved him a bit and felt the entire weight of his body and armor start to fall. She shifted is weight and moved him so he was sitting down on the ground. Kat brought up his vitals on her HUD. His pulse and heartbeat were steady. She removed his helmet, and saw the blood dripping from his nose and mouth. She removed the biofoam canister from her med kit. Kat attached it to the port in his armor, and filled his chest cavity with the lifesaving sealant.

Carter shifted and groaned. "What happened?"

"I think you blacked out, boss." Kat tossed the empty container to the side. "You had some internal bleeding. Biofoam fixed it." Carter tried to stand up but Kat stopped him. "Don't move, I have to see where else you are hurt."

"I'm fine, Kat." Carter tried to push her away but she smacked his arm. "What was that for?"

"Would you stop fussing and just let me work?" Kat went to work checking over his armor for broken parts or for any breaks through the black under layer.

"No offense, Kat, but you are better with machines, not humans." Carter shifted, wincing as pain shot through his chest. The biofoam was holding him together but wouldn't alleviate the pain.

"And a human body is nothing but a machine that's made of flesh. I know what I'm doing." Kat removed her own helmet and glared at him. "When did you stop trusting me?"

"It's not that I don't trust you." His voice was annoyed and he frowned. Carter reached up, running a finger over Kat's forehead above her left eye. The female Spartan flinched as it passed over the cut. "Maybe you should be taking care of yourself."

Kat swatted his hand away. "I'm not the one that just passed out." Kat finished checking him over. "All right, I think you're good."

Carter moved to his feet, leaning down and picking up his helmet. "I told you I was fine."

"Since when do I listen to you?" Kat grabbed her own helmet and slipped it on. "Come on, we still have Covenant to kill."

Carter winced as he started to walk along the canyon after her. He was hurt, but he could keep going. Kat slowed her pace just a bit, enough that in his injured state he could keep up with her. He smiled as he watched her vigilantly scan the area ahead of them. He knew that Kat would always have his back and be there to patch him up.


	16. 020 Smell

020 Smell

Kat wandered into the Noble Team barracks. Her head was a bit fuzzy from the drugs that they had used on her while the medics had worked on several of her injuries. She had managed to find her way back to the barracks, but she was far from steady on her feet.

Noble Two plopped down onto one of the cots, but frowned. It smelled awful. She sat up and covered her nose. She recognized the smell—it was how Richard smelled after a workout. She stood up and moved to the next cot, hoping to get away from the smell.

Something jabbed her in the side and she sat up, reaching under the blanket to find a pistol. "Emile." She realized it was his cot. She stood up and made her way across the room. She slept on the opposite side of the room as Emile.

She lay down on one of the cots. This one smelled off to her as well. She took a moment, frowning as she identified the scent. She realized that it was the smell of Tara. The blankets smelled of grease, likely from Tara working on cleaning up some weapon or something.

Kat reluctantly stood back up, moving to the next cot. She lay down and took a deep breath. Her nose filled with the scent that soaked the sheet. She moved her head, burying her face in the pillow. The aroma was warm and inviting. Kat slipped under the blanket, surrounding herself in the essence.

It warmed her to the bone. Her eyes closed and she let herself get lost in the odor. She was so distracted she didn't hear the door open, or the man approach her. A hand settled on her shoulder, shaking her slightly. Kat looked up and saw the frowning face of Carter.

"Kat, are you all right?" Carter sat down on the cot next to her.

Kat nodded her head. "They just pumped me full of some drugs. I'm just tired, sir." She pulled the blanket around her a bit tighter around her.

"They must have pumped you full of some odd drugs." Carter looked around then leaned a bit closer to her. "Kat, you have to move to your own cot."

Kat shook her head. "No, I like it here." She wrapped her arm around the pillow, burying her head in it deeper.

#

Carter stared down at Kat. He couldn't help but smile. She must have been on some really odd drugs. She never acted this way. "All right, you can have my cot for now." He stood up and moved over to the cot that was usually Kat's. He rubbed the back of his neck before lying down. He set his head on the pillow, looking up at the ceiling.

He took deep breaths and his senses filled with Kat's smell. His eyes slowly ease close and he drifted off, surrounded by Kat's fragrance.


	17. 044 Discovery

044 Discovery

Plasma blasts sped through the air over Noble Team's heads. Carter checked his rifle, sure that it was without damage. He looked across the road where Richard and Kat were hiding. Something hit the ground, and the ground shook. There was an odd sound in the air as the wraith tank's second shot was lobbed through the air.

The blue ball of plasma hit the building above, them and concrete crumbled down to the ground. Carter crouched down as dust spread out over them. He looked up just in time to see a third shot hitting the ground, beside his teammates. He had to look away as heat washed over the nearby area.

When Carter looked back over he couldn't see either of the Spartans. Four sniper shots rang through the air and Carter heard the sound of an explosion. Carter moved to the edge of his cover and looked out, seeing the wreckage of the wraith tank.

Carter sprinted across the road, to the smoldering crater left by the wraith's projectile. He stopped, looking around. Carter finally spotted what looked like a Spartan, but the armor was scorched and partially melted.

The Commander moved over to the Spartan and turned him over, feeling fear grip his heart. He looked at the Spartan and realized it was Richard. He was still worried, but he felt an odd sense of relief. He turned his attention to the other Spartan, who had been under Richard.

Kat turned onto her side and shook her head. "Damn wraiths."

"You all right, Lieutenant?" Carter placed a hand on her arm.

Kat looked over at him and nodded. "Yes, sir, ears are still ringing from that damn thing." Kat stood up and then moved to Richard's side to check him over.

Carter watched her work on the other Spartan, making sure that he was alive. Carter took it as a moment to analyze what had happened. When the wraith tank had hit them, Richard must have moved to cover Kat. What was odd to Carter was how he had reacted to the events. It was odd to him; he'd been so worried. He didn't understand why it was that he had felt so relieved that it had been Richard, not Kat, who was injured. He watched the female Spartan, trying to figure out why. Only one answer seemed to fit the emotions, but he couldn't believe it.

Kat looked over her shoulder at him. "He'll be all right if we can get him to a medic. I'll call it in." Kat turned her full attention to contacting the ship above.

Carter watched her, calm and collected in the heat of battle. He had to admit it. The only logical conclusion was the right one. At some point, it had happened. He couldn't tell exactly when. It had most likely happened gradually, over time, though it felt like it had always been. At some point he'd started seeing her as more than a teammate. At some point, Carter had fallen for Kat.

A/N: Just a note, the chapters are not done in chronological order. The best way to tell what order they are done in is based on which members of Noble Team are alive.


	18. 033 Thanksgiving

033 Thanksgiving

"Why do they still celebrate this?" Kat frowned as she pulled out a feather from the tail of the fake turkey on the table. "I mean, it's based off an old American tradition. There is no reason why the colonies should celebrate it."

"Oh, come on, Kat. The Americans were colonists at the time. Seems ideal for colonies to celebrate." Jake shook his head. "It's a day to be thankful for the things you have. I think that still applies. Like, I'm thankful to be a part of Noble Team."

"We are all happy for that." Sara chuckled a bit. "I'm happy for a day off of fighting the Covenant."

Richard stared ahead at the wall before him, his face blank. "I'm glad that Brian isn't suffering anymore." The room fell silent, an uneasy feeling hanging in the air. Sara and Jake stood up and left the room in silence. Richard was the last to leave. He shot Kat a dirty look before he exited. They all knew that he still blamed her for what had happened to his friend.

The room felt empty as Carter and Kat sat in silence. After a minute Carter spoke up. "Don't I get a turn?"

Kat glanced over at him and shrugged. "If you want one. The mood was kind of ruined."

"I'm thankful for my Noble Two. I'm thankful that she's still alive, though I came close to losing her." Carter bumped his hand against hers.

Kat couldn't help but smile a bit. "You're probably the only one thankful for that right now." She stood up and looked down at the Commander. "You know what I'm thankful for?" Carter shook his head slightly. "I'm thankful for my Noble One, because he always knows how to make me feel better." Carter smiled up at her, watching as she turned and left the room.


	19. 069 Safe

069 Safe

Kat slid behind the wall, ducking down as a plasma shot sped overhead. Dust rained down on her and bits of rock pinged off of her helmet. She felt something bump against her right shoulder and looked over to see Carter, who was using the same wall for cover.

He motioned to her and then took off at a full sprint. Kat took off after him, following him down a side path through the buildings. He brought them to a stop in an empty barrack building. The military members had already been evacuated.

Kat moved over to a wall, leaning against it for support. Carter moved to her side and glanced over his shoulder at the doorway. "You all right, Kat?"

Kat stood up but flinched as she did. Her side hurt, likely from the force of having hit a wall while diving away from a speeding ghost. "Yeah, just a little banged up." She ignored the pain as best she could. "So what is our next move?"

Carter didn't answer right away. "We have a few hours until the larger invasion force will reach our location. The Covenant that were following us have turned around, meaning they are going to meet up with the main force before they try to attack us again." Kat's head nodded. "We'll use it as a chance to rest. Get some shut-eye; I'll wake you in half an hour."

Kat was going to protest but Carter had already moved to the doorway to stand guard. She figured that there was no harm in a little sleep. She skipped the cots, sitting down and leaning against the wall. She made herself as comfortable as possible, laying her head against the wall.

Her gaze fell on Carter at the door, the sight of Covenant ships hanging in the air behind him. Even with the enemy looming over them she felt secure, secure enough for her eyes to close. She knew that with Carter on watch she had nothing to worry about. She slowly drifted off to get some rest, secure in the fact that as long as Carter was there to protect her she'd be safe.


	20. 025 Sunset

025 Sunset

Noble team settled into the safety of the cave, setting up their camp for the night. The members of the team made themselves comfortable. Carter quickly took a head count before giving out orders. "All right, we're staying the night here, Noble. We take watch in pairs and alternate in turns every two hours. I'm taking first watch."

The Spartans nodded and moved deeper into the cave to find places to rest. Richard moved over to Kat. "Why don't you and I catch some shut eye and then take our watch together?"

"No, thank you, Dick." Kat frowned at him, though he couldn't see it. "I'm going to take first watch with the Commander."

Richard hesitated, as though he were going to say something but then thought better of it. He turned and walked back into the cave.

Kat watched him go, wondering what he was going to say. She shrugged it off, moving back to the entrance of the cave. She stopped for a moment when she saw Carter.

He stood, scanning the surrounding area. He stood with the setting sun in front of him, perfectly silhouetting him. He stood tall and Kat couldn't help but smile. Standing there, backed by the orange and purples of the setting sun, he looked exactly like the leader she'd always thought of him as.

She walked up to his side and Carter turned to look at her. "I thought we'd stand watch together." Carter nodded and turned back to looking at the surrounding forest. Kat looked at him for a moment, studying the way the light changed the shade of his armor.

"What are you staring at?" Carter's voice snapped her back to what was going on. He was staring at her, and she could hear the concern in her voice.

"It's nothing, sir." Kat looked away from him, starting to scan the area again. He let it go, returning to watching for enemies. Kat made a mental note to try to capture an image of him in that light later.


	21. 24 Sunrise

024 Sunrise

Carter shifted and his eyes slowly opened. He saw Richard sitting across from him. Carter glanced around, spotting the rest of Noble team, minus Kat. He felt a spike of panic, then relaxed as he realized she was likely just on guard duty. Carter got to his feet, trying to be quiet so he didn't wake the rest of the team.

Noble One walked to the mouth of the cave. He didn't spot Kat right away. She was crouched on the top of a rock, completely motionless. He hadn't seen her at first because she'd been standing so still she'd looked like she was part of the scenery. The emerging light flooded over her, accenting the blue of her armor. The light hit her visor just right, making it shine golden orange. The light was just perfect, and she looked brilliant.

Carter stared at her, enjoying the sight. Her stance was strong, as strong as it was when she would argue with him over a plan. Her rifle was held loosely in her hands. Not tight enough that it would become a strain, but still in hand in case of a threat. She always was prepared.

Kat suddenly turned, looking directly at Carter. "Commander, I didn't hear you." There was a hint of annoyance in her voice. Carter knew it wasn't aimed at him. She was annoyed at herself for having missed it.

"Well, I was trying to be quiet. You shouldn't have to worry about things coming out of the cave." Carter walked up and stood a bit behind her.

Kat turned her attention forward again. "What are you doing here anyway? I still have another ten minutes."

"You almost seem reluctant to be taken off of guard duty." Carter sounded a bit amused at the idea.

"Well, it is not often that we get to see such a beautiful sight." Kat motioned to the valley before them.

Carter looked out at the scenery and had to agree it was beautiful. The sun was just peeking over the hills and spread warm light over everything. Carter tuned his attention to his Lieutenant Commander. He smiled slightly behind his helmet. "Yeah, it's a great view."


	22. 048 Nightmare

048 Nightmare

She knelt down beside his body. This couldn't be happening. Her hands moved down, removing his helmet and tossing it to the side. Blood was splattered across his face, his mouth and nose had bits of blood on them, and a long cut ran from his left cheek to his forehead.

His eyes gazed up at her as the light slowly faded from them. She tore off her own helmet, tossing it to the side to join his. "Carter, no." Her hand moved to the side of his face. She could feel the tears in her eyes, and it became harder to breathe.

A smile tugged at the edge of his mouth, but he didn't seem to have the energy for it. "Kat, you're all right."

Kat pulled him up so that his head rested on her lap. "Yeah, Carter, I'm all right." Tears fell from her eyes, dropping onto Carter's face. His hand reached up, weakly brushing the moisture away.

His hand lingered on her cheek, feeling her skin through the tears in his gauntlet. "Now why would you be crying?" Kat didn't dare answer that question. They both knew why. "Stay strong, Kat." His mouth moved as he said more words but no sound came out. His body went limp in her arms and the last of the light slipped from his eyes.

Kat clutched his body to her. Tears freely flowed from her cheeks and the sobs came without any way to stop them.

Something shook Kat awake. Her eyes snapped open and she was staring up at Carter. The duo were currently dealing with a small rebel problem in a still UNSC-controlled space. The rest of Noble team was dealing with a similar situation in another system. Noble One and Two had been given a room to act as their quarters while they were staying on the ship.

Carter had been woken from the sound coming across the room from him. At first he hadn't been able to identify it but he realized it was Kat. There'd been a rush of adrenaline, believing that they were under attack. He calmed down when he realized they were still on the ship. From the sounds though something was wrong with Kat. He hadn't hesitated for a second before going to her side to find out what was wrong. He'd woken her up right away.

Kat wrapped her arms around her Commander's neck, hugging him tightly. Carter sat in shock as she clung to him. "Kat, what's wrong?" His hands moved around her, hugging her. He felt her shaking slightly and he held her a bit tighter.

She didn't say anything for a while, just held onto him as though he would vanish if she let go. She slowly calmed down. Her body stopped shaking and her breathing returned back to regular. "It was all a dream."

Carter nodded. "It was just a nightmare, Kat. Everything's fine." He held her until her grip around his neck loosened.

Kat moved a bit away from him, realizing how inappropriate their position was. She lay back down on her cot, pulling her blanket back up over her. She turned away from him, a bit embarrassed by her actions. "Don't ever die on me, Carter."

Carter just barely caught her words but suddenly it all made sense. Why she had been so scared, why she had clung to him, all of it. "It was just a nightmare, Kat. Go back to sleep." He stood up and walked back over to his cot. He grabbed it and pulled it across the room so that it was only a foot away from Kat's. The Commander settled down onto the cot and settled in. If Kat's nightmare came back again, this time he'd be right there for her.


	23. 047 Dream

047 Dream

Carter sat at the side of the lake. He recognized it easily. He'd spent time here when he'd been training as a Spartan. It was Onyx. He looked up at the sun above and then lay back on the grass. He was aware of another presence but he ignored it for the time being. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply and smelled the grass and trees around him. It felt odd that it was vacant of the smell of fire, or artillery as he remembered from his youth.

The person beside him moved a bit closer to him. A warm pressure settled on his chest and Carter opened his eyes. Green eyes stared down at him, soft and warm. She pulled herself up on him, until she was straddling his waist. She leaned down toward him, hands moving to the side of his head, running over his buzzed hair. Carter wanted to move, wanted to touch her, but for some reason his arms wouldn't move.

Her lips claimed his and the only thing he could do was return the kiss. He tried to force his arms to move but they were dead at his side. She slowly moved along his jaw to his neck where she kissed and bit at the flesh. The only thing he could do was enjoy the feeling of her actions. He felt her move lower, her mouth moving over his chest. He could have sworn he had been wearing a shirt a moment ago. Carter looked down at her, watching her as she moved lower and lower.

He felt a tug on his pants and his head fell back onto the grass. "Kat." The name slipped out and it felt like a sin.

Carter was shaken awake, finding himself staring up at the same green eyes from his dream. There was an odd taunting look in her eyes. "Might I inquire as to why you were whispering my name in your sleep?" Kat smirked at him, waiting for an answer.

Carter ignored the question, hiding his embarrassment. He couldn't believe that he'd said her name aloud. The dream was still so vivid in his mind. "What do you want, Kat?"

"Oh, someone's cranky. Guess I interrupted a good one." Kat's voice suddenly turned serious. "Colonel wants to talk to you."

Carter nodded and stood up. He paused for a moment, looking down at Kat. "Get some sleep, you look tired." He moved over to his locker to get fresh clothing. He heard Kat flop onto a cot and settle in. The Commander glanced over his shoulder to check on her. Kat had curled up on the cot he'd been using just seconds ago. Carter got dressed, being as quiet as he could as not to disturb the slumbering Lieutenant Commander.

"Carter."

He just barely caught the word. It had been so quiet that even his enhanced hearing almost hadn't heard it. Carter turned, looking back at the source of the sound. Kat was clutching his pillow and hand wrapped herself up tightly in his blanket. Carter couldn't help but smile. She looked so calm and harmless when she was asleep like that. "Sweet dreams, Kat." Carter shut his locker quietly and left to meet the Colonel and find out what new mission they might have.


	24. 088 Fight

088 Fight

He ducked down, under her fist. His own fist struck out, but she deflected it. The two had been sparring for several minutes already. They were just too evenly matched. Neither one could get a strike in under the guard of the other.

Carter blocked another kick and countered but Kat swatted it away. Jake stood up and motioned to Richard "This is getting old.". The other Spartan stood up and they left Carter and Kat to their fight. The other members of Noble Team had left some time ago, not big on watching the two of them stalemate. It had gotten old a while ago.

Kat's fist finally connected with Carter's chest. He took a step back, but the blow had barely even fazed him. Kat took a step back, preparing for his counter strike. "Damn, this is going to be a test of stamina, not skill."

Carter didn't say anything. He charged forward, striking out at Kat. She blocked the first couple of blows, but her fatigue was obvious. Carter continued to strike until he found the perfect chance. His hand struck out, hitting her knee. Her leg gave out under her and she fell down. He was on her in a moment, using his full weight to force her back. Her fist made contact with his face, but he was winning.

His full force landed on Kat and she was pinned to the ground. He was straddling her waist, his hands pinning her arms out to her sides. He watched her chest heave as she tried to catch her breath. He was slightly aware of his own panting. The two remained where they were for several seconds before Carter snapped back to reality, tearing his gaze away from her torso. He released his hold on her arms and she partially sat up, though she had trouble as he was still sitting on her.

"Commander, you're on me." Kat tried to pull herself out from under him. Carter flinched a bit as she did. He cursed his body then stood up quickly, holding his hand out to Kat. She took it and stood up. "Well, I guess you got me in the end."

Carter's voice sounded almost normal, though it had an undertow of unease. "My stamina is just a bit better than yours. You should work on that. I don't want you getting killed because you're tired in the field." Carter moved over, grabbing a pair of towels and tossing one to Kat. He grabbed a bottle of water and sat down on the floor.

Kat walked over to him and leaned over him, grabbing her own water bottle. Carter had to look away, taking a swig of his own water. "Not many men can tire me out like you can, Commander." Kat stood back up then moved over to sit at Carter's side. "Though if you want to help me, I'm sure that I can increase my stamina."

"Stop talking like that, Kat." Carter stood up, unable to take it anymore. His gaze was steadily fixed on anything that wasn't Kat. He paused for a moment. "Good fight, Lieutenant Commander." Kat smiled as he walked out of the room. She raised her right hand and saluted him. Carter stopped and turned back to her, having caught the motion out of the corner of his eye. He raised his own hand, returning the salute before making his way out of the room. Kat stood up a moment later, turning and walking toward the showers to get cleaned up.


	25. 046 Betrayal

046 Betrayal

Carter walked through the hallways of the base, tired. There had been more bad news from the outer colonies, Covenant strikes that they couldn't stop. He'd spent some time in the gym afterward it in order to work off some frustration. He was now on his way to the showers to wash up. He ran a hand over his short hair and back to his neck, where he tried to ease away a bit of the stress that was building. He stopped as he reached the locker room door. He thumbed the door lock and it slid open. As soon as he saw what was on the other side he wished it hadn't.

He was greeted by the sight of Kat pushed up against the lockers. The problem was that she was pinned there by Richard. Her hands clung to the other Spartan's back while Richard's were making their way up Kat's shirt. The two didn't even notice Carter, too caught up in their activity. Kat's head was back against the lockers while Richard's mouth was attached to her neck.

Kat moaned as one of her legs curled around Richard's leg. "…Carter…" The word was masked by another moan, so much so that Carter wasn't even sure if he'd heard it.

Carter cleared his throat and Richard froze. Kat's eyes snapped open and landed on Carter. Her eyes were wide as she was struck with the shock of the situation.

Richard shifted his head, keeping his cheek against Kat's chest. He looked over at Carter and smiled at him. "Hey there, Commander."

Something sparked through Carter's eyes. He felt like he'd been stabbed in the back, and in the heart. He felt anger and hurt swell up inside of him but he kept it from exploding out of him. "You both do realize that relationships are against the rules." His voice was like ice in the air. He wasn't looking at Richard. His eyes were locked with Kat's. Carter took a deep breath, but found it hard to breathe. He was shaking slightly with anger. If he stayed any longer then he was sure he'd do something that he regretted. "Don't let me ever catch you again." He finally broke his gaze from Kat's and turned around, leaving the locker room.

Carter was gone before Kat could do anything to stop him. She pushed Richard away from her and glared at the other Spartan. "Why did you do that?"

"I do that? You're the one that was moaning and grinding. Besides, I told you to stop saying his name. It was like you were trying to call him to us." Richard tried to take a step back toward her but she stopped him.

"I don't mean _that_. I mean why did you talk to him like that? How could you be so calm?" Kat went into panic mode, pacing away from Richard.

The male Spartan didn't hide that he was leering at her body as she walked. "Because I'm not one of you. I'm not afraid to tell you how good you look, and how much I want to pin you back to those lockers and do very bad things to you." He bit his lip as he continued to stare at her. "I was clear with you that that was what this was about. I get to fulfill those fantasies, and you get to pretend that I'm Carter." Richard crossed his arms over his chest.

"I have to go after him." Kat took a deep breath and moved toward the door.

Richard watched her and nodded. "Good luck, Kat."


	26. 045 Truth

045 Truth

It had taken Kat forever to get a chance to be alone with Carter. He was avoiding it like the plague. He'd even started addressing her as Lieutenant Commander rather than Kat. They had been the worst days of her life. Every time he looked at her she could see that hurt and angry look in his eyes. She had been forced to wait until they were removing his armor and then request the technicians to leave. She'd had to lock the door and stand in the way to get him to stay. This is where they now stood, with Carter trying to leave while Kat stood in the way.

Carter clenched his fists. "Stand down, Soldier."

"No, I will not move until you talk to me." Kat gripped the wall, using it to try to keep herself in place.

"We have nothing to talk about."

"Yes, we do. There's more to this than just what you saw." Kat saw Carter flinch and she felt a stab of guilt. "I will not move until you hear me out."

Carter made a low sound of annoyance. "Fine, speak your piece. For whatever good it will do you."

"I can't stand the loneliness." Kat released her grip on the wall. "Richard is physically attracted to me, and I saw a chance to…pretend that the rules didn't exist."

Carter looked away from her. "So you want them to not exist so that you and Richard can have sex in the locker room without worry."

Kat clenched her hands. "It wasn't Richard's name I was saying. It was yours." Carter vaguely remembered the belief that he'd heard her moan his name. At the time he had thought it was just his imagination, a hopeful wish in an awful moment. But here she was, telling him that he had heard right. "I wasn't pretending that Richard and I could be together. I was pretending that you and I could be together."

Carter could feel his hope rising, but the anger still overpowered it. "That doesn't change the fact that you were sleeping with Richard behind my back."

Kat pulled his face so that he was looking at her. "We never slept together." A bit of surprise crossed Carter's face. "I never let it go that far." Kat paused and looked away from him. "I wouldn't want to do that with anyone else but you."

Carter reached up one of his hands and placed it over one of hers that was still lingering on the side of his face. "You hurt me, Kat." Her name was like music to her ears. She'd missed the way he said it, even when angry with her. "I trusted you."

"I didn't want to hurt you, Carter." She paused for a minute before she continued. "I love you, Carter."

"I told you never to say that." Carter pulled her hands away from him. "Besides, if you loved me, then you wouldn't have done that with Richard."

"That's why I did it." Kat frowned. "You keep following all those damn rules, but Richard, Richard was offering even a chance to pretend that they could be ignored. He didn't care that I would say your name—that was part of our deal."

"He still shouldn't have been touching you like that."

"Why? Because it's against the rules?"

"No, because you're mine." Carter froze when he said the words. He couldn't stop them from pouring out in his anger. He always tried to keep his temper in check, because it seemed when he didn't, he admitted things that he shouldn't. He took a step back and looked away from Kat.

"I am yours, Carter. I always will be." She took a step away from the door and toward him. "I'm sorry that I was weak. That unlike you I couldn't control myself. Unlike you I became desperate."

Carter let out a deep breath. "Things aren't just going to go back to normal. You can't just say that you're sorry and make everything better."

"I know, but I want to try to make things back to normal. I care about you too much to let this go." Kat smiled slightly.

Carter nodded. He reached out, placing his hand on Kat's chin and moving her face so that her neck was exposed. Kat let him move her. She closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of his hand on her skin. He seemed satisfied with whatever he was looking for and released her. "We'll try." He moved around her and she didn't stop him from opening the door. "I'll see you back at the barracks." He left without another word.

Kat watched him go, staring at the door after it closed. She sat down at one of the work tables in the room. She knew that she could fix their relationship. She was always good at fixing things, though this would take much more effort than anything she'd ever fixed in the past.


	27. 072 Fixed

072 Fixed

The last weeks had been hard. Kat had been following every order that she was given by Carter. She had to prove that he could trust her again. She stared across the room at the cot that he had been using since he'd seen her and Richard in the locker room. He'd moved literally to the opposite side of the room, as far away from Kat as possible. She didn't blame him, but she missed hearing him breathing at night. When he was across the room she couldn't hear him over the slumbering of the other Noble team members. It made it a bit harder to sleep at night. She hadn't realized how much it had helped her get to sleep.

Slowly, though, things had been getting better. He'd been talking to her more, and it was becoming easier for them to be around each other. His gaze was slowly losing the angry hint to it whenever he looked at her and she'd actually seen him smile a bit at her a couple times in the last week. She could swear he hadn't looked more handsome than those times.

She supposed that it had helped he'd gotten in a sparring match with Richard and had gotten to knock the other Spartan out. Those few hits seemed to have really helped relieve his anger. She was really glad that he hadn't taken out that anger on her, though she guessed that he never would. No matter how angry he was at her he would never hurt her, at least not physically.

Kat had just been about to leave to head to the gym when the door to the barracks opened. Carter walked in, towel over his shoulders, hair still damp from his shower. He sat down on the cot next to hers. She looked at him, surprised.

"What?"

"That's not the cot you've been using."

"Are you complaining? I thought you liked sleeping next to me." Carter's voice was a bit light, with a teasing tone.

Kat couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. He was teasing her, he was calling her by her name, and he had moved back beside her. Everything felt right to her. She stared ahead at him, realizing that all of the hurt and the anger was gone from his eyes, replaced by the warm and confident feel that she'd grown to love.

"You have no idea." She just barely said the words, but they caused a look of smug victory to cross his face. She looked away from him, not wanting to admit that she'd said it aloud. Kat sighed and took the pillow and blanket off of her own cot and tossed them at Carter. "I was asking because you didn't bring over your bedding." Carter took the objects and lay down on his new cot. Kat made the mental note to steal the pillow and blanket from his former cot later.

Kat frowned. Something was still eating at her. "Can I ask you something?" Carter nodded and she continued. "That day, when we decided to try to make things better."

Carter sat up. "I'm just forgiving you for all that and you want to bring it back up?" He frowned at her.

"I just wanted to know, right before you agreed to try, you moved my head. I wanted to know what that was about. You don't have to tell me, I'm just curious."

"You're always curious. One day it's going to get you killed." He reached out, fingers lightly touching the side of her neck. Kat leaned her head to the side, letting him have more access to the skin. "I was looking to see if he'd marked you. I don't think I would have been willing to even try to forgive if there'd been a reminder on you of it."

"I would have kicked his ass if he tried anything like that." Her hand moved up, holding his to her neck. "Though I wouldn't say no to you."

Carter shook his head. "That would be highly inappropriate." He pulled his hand away from her and lay back down on his cot and pulled Kat's blanket over him.

Kat sighed, frustrated. He really was evil sometimes. He'd been the first one to show her affection by kissing her. Whenever she tried to make an advance, though, it was rules this and regulations that. On top of it all she'd lost her outlet for her pent up sexual energy. It had been just about only thing that Richard had proven to be useful for. But she supposed it was too much to ask Carter to give into her flirting. She stood up and made her way out of the room, heading to the gym to let out some of her frustration.


	28. 035 Valentine

035 Valentine

Kat really hated the holidays, all of them. She hated the major ones, but this particular holiday really annoyed her. Red and pink hearts were pasted on the walls, here and there. Little babies with wings and bow and arrow in hand. It was a holiday that constantly taunted her with what she couldn't have. All around the base couples were together, enjoying the day of love.

Every time that she saw a couple hugging, sitting happily in each other's company, or passionately making out in places they thought no one would see, she felt a pain. Today was a day for people who were in love, but Spartans weren't allowed to be that way.

She made her way to the barracks and decided to skip a shower. She wasn't that dirty and she was planning on working out later. She moved along the line of cots to the one that was hers. She glanced over at Carter's, wondering where he was. She wished he was here. Even if they couldn't be like the other soldiers, she wanted to spend today with him.

Kat sat down on her cot and her hip knocked against something. She reached down and lifted up a small box. She looked around, trying to figure out who had put it there. There was no card or marking as to who had given it. Her name was written on the top of the box. She hesitantly opened it and stared at the contents. Her fingers carefully grabbed the chain and lifted the necklace up, out of the box. She moved her other hand, letting the pendant settle in her palm. She recognized it right way as the necklace that she'd given Carter for Christmas. Her heart fell and she frowned. He was giving it back to her.

The door opened and Carter entered the room. He moved over to Kat and sat down on his cot, facing her. "What's wrong?" He eyed the pendant in her hand.

"I thought you liked it." Kat finally looked up at him. Carter saw the hurt in her eyes.

"I do, I just remembered something else." Carter shifted a bit and looked away from her.

"Not the damn rules again." Kat scowled. The rules always got in the way.

"No, not that. I remembered when that sniper hit your arm. How it had shattered your armor. I took a piece." Carter reached into his shirt and pulled out a pendant that hung around his neck. Kat recognized it as a piece of her armor from that day. Carter had etched the Noble symbol into it.

Kat looked down at the pendant in her own hand. "Then why are you giving this to me?"

Carter shifted uneasily for a moment. "Because I figure this way I have a part of you and you have a part of me."

Kat smiled slightly. "You have perfect timing." Carter looked back to her, confused. "You do know what today is." Carter shook his head. Kat frowned. "How can you not know? There is no way that you are that oblivious." Carter shrugged.

Kat took a calming breath and slipped the necklace over her head. She liked the idea of having a part of Carter with her. She leaned forward and pecked his cheek. "Happy Valentine's Day, Commander." She lay down on her cot, though she reached over, stealing the pillow from Carter's cot.

"Why do you keep stealing my things?" Carter watched as Kat curled up, clutching his pillow to her chest. She rolled over so her back was facing him to keep him from seeing the wide grin on her face. Carter let out a long breath and stood up, leaving his Lieutenant Commander to get some sleep.


	29. 052 Sex

052 Sex

It started out like so many conversations had in the last few weeks. Carter met with Kat in her work space, locking them in as always to ensure they weren't disturbed while they argued. He'd brought the new list of possible replacements for Thom. Carter would go through the list, tell all of the positive and negative of each possible replacement. Kat would give one reason or another for why each of them were no good. The argument then always turned to Kat arguing that they didn't need a replacement at all—that the team was fine with only four members—and Carter arguing that they needed to be back to full strength. From there it turned to the two of them trying to shoulder the blame of Thom's death while the other tried to defend them from it.

It came to a peak this time. Usually it stopped at the blame, but the argument became more and more heated. The two stood, arguing about how it wasn't the other's fault. They stood inches apart, trying to intimidate the other into admitting they were wrong. In a flash, Carter had Kat pinned to the wall, and the two struggled for control as they kissed. Clothing was nearly torn away, tossed to the side. Mouths and hands traveled and explored places that they had only ever dreamed of. No taste or touch was enough as they fought to memorize every inch of each other. They reveled in the pleasure of being together.

They both were aware of how wrong what they were doing was, but they both ignored it. For the first time, the two felt happy. They were free of their worries, of their guilt, and of sorrow. They fumbled through the act. Neither really knew what they were doing, but they managed to figure it out. Once they got started it felt like they'd never stop. They tried to stay as silent as they could but found it difficult to stifle their sounds. The air filled with moans and the whispers of their names. If Kat minded the metal floor on her back she didn't show it, too caught up in the feel of Carter, of their actions.

Now they both lay exhausted on the floor of the workspace. Both were coated in a light layer of sweat and panting to try to catch their breaths. They didn't speak, afraid that they would ruin the moment.

There was a loud knock on the door and the two Spartans stared at it, waiting to see if the person would go away.

"Commander, you in there?" Emile's voice was barely audible through the door.

Carter hesitated, looking down at Kat. He then looked back to the door. "Yeah, I'm here. What is it, Emile?" He shouted loud enough that the Spartan on the other side could hear.

"Sir, the Colonel wants to talk to you."

"I'll be right there—once I'm finished." Carter regretfully moved away from Kat and she shivered as his warmth left her. "Just a moment."

He moved to his clothing, quickly getting dressed. Kat stayed where she was, watching him wistfully. He frowned at her. He set her clothing next to her and she came back to reality. She got dressed as well. Carter moved toward the door but hesitated. He turned back to Kat, pulling her to him for one last kiss before he made his way to the door.

The door slid back and Emile glanced in, looking over Carter's shoulder at Kat, who was moving back to her work table and several pieces of equipment she had there. He frowned, as though he'd been expecting to see something else.

"Let's go." Carter moved out of the room, glancing back at Kat before the door shut.

"What were you two doing in there, sir?" Carter started to walk down the hallway and Emile followed him. "If you don't mind my asking."

"We were arguing over a new six." It wasn't a lie, at least not a full lie. "Stay focused, soldier. The Colonel likely has a new mission for us."

Emile sounded disappointed. "Yes, sir."


	30. 096 Duty

096 Duty

It had been a few days, and things had been only a little weird between Carter and Kat. They hadn't avoided each other, but whenever they were near each other there was an odd tension in the air.

Carter walked into the work room, the same one that they'd committed the act in. He shut and locked the door behind him.

Kat looked over her shoulder at him and smiled. "Have more replacements that you want to pitch to me?" she teased.

Carter shook his head and the smile fell from Kat's face. "I'm here to set down some ground rules."

Kat let out a groan of annoyance. She turned around to look at the piece of equipment she was working on. "Not more rules. I was kind of hoping we could ignore some rules, not start to follow more rules."

Carter moved over, leaning against the table beside her. "Not those kind of rules, I mean rules about us." He didn't look at her, staring instead at the wall behind Kat.

"Us?" Kat looked at him, surprised. She had expected him to come in with a ton of draconian rules about how they had to stay several inches away from each other and such.

Carter nodded. "Yes, us." He motioned to the two of them. "We have to remember that we are Spartans." Kat's shoulders fell. "We have to remember that the mission always comes first. We have a duty to all of humanity, and that always has to be what we consider first."

Kat nodded her head, looking away from Carter and trying to calm herself. "Yes, sir."

"That being said, when we are in a situation like this," he motioned to them alone in the work room. "We need to have rules." Kat braced herself for what he was about to say. "First, if we hear anyone coming, then we have to stop any inappropriate activities we might be doing. Two, if clothes start to come off, the door gets locked." Kat looked over at him, shocked. "Third, during a combat situation, we cannot show affection. That is not the time or place for such things. We must place our duty and mission ahead of all else, remain focused. When the team is around, no flirting, no innuendos, none of that. Are we clear?"

Kat nodded. "Yes, sir." She saluted him, sitting up straight in her chair. Carter smiled and returned the salute. "I have to say, you seem to have put a lot of thought into this."

Carter scratched the back of his neck. "Well, I want this to work." He took a deep breath and gathered his courage. "I love you, Catherine." He suddenly found Kat's arms around his neck and their lips locked together. Carter's arms wrapped around her and the two Spartans put their new rules to use.


	31. 039 Kink

039 Kink

Carter sat on the bench in the empty room, rubbing the back of his neck. He felt helpless sitting here on the ground while Six and Jorge were up in space, completing Kat's plan. He still couldn't believe how Kat had talked him into such a crazy idea.

As though thinking her name alone was a signal, the door slid open and Kat walked in. She removed her helmet and watched him rub at his neck. "What's wrong with you?"

"Got hit by an elite pretty hard. Neck still hurts." He sighed and frowned.

Kat sighed and tapped his shoulder enough to get his attention. She sat down so she was straddling the bench and motioned for him to do the same. Carter wordlessly did as she instructed. "Helmet off." Carter reached up and pulled his helmet off.

Kat removed her gauntlets and her fingers started to massage his shoulders, though it was a bit difficult with his armor on. She scooted back on the bench and pulled him back so he was leaning against her chest. It gave her better access to his neck. Carter's chin lay flat against his chest, enjoying her hands as they worked out the stress.

"Damn, Carter, you have quite a kink there." She shook her head. "You have way too much stress." She started to use more pressure.

"What do you expect when I have to deal with soldiers like you?" Carter let out a sound that was a borderline moan. Her fingers worked out the kink in his neck, making the stress just flow out of him. He could feel her breath on the back of his head and he wondered exactly how close she was to him. He felt a shiver run through his body and the hair on the back of his neck stood on end.

Her hands moved from his neck and he was pushed forward a bit. Kat softly placed a light kiss on the back of his neck and he smiled. "Well, I'll make you a deal. When this is all over, when this entire Covenant on Reach stuff is done, I'm going to get you out of that armor, and give you a proper massage. Relieve all that stress." She smiled and stood up.

Carter looked back at her, a bit surprised. He wanted her to continue. "Wait, for it to be a deal, don't you have to get something in return?"

Kat shrugged. "I think having you under my control, naked, while I get to touch you all over is enough in return. Besides, you pitched my idea to Colonel Holland."

"Wait, who said anything about me not having any clothing on?" Carter shifted uncomfortably. He was trying to keep his mind off the idea of lying on the ground bare under Kat while she massaged him.

"That's how you give someone a full body massage, Carter. It doesn't really work properly if the person being massaged is clothed." Kat slipped back on her gauntlets.

Carter stood up, trying to ignore the heat that he felt rising in him. "It's a deal."

Kat smirked. "Come on, we should help with the evacuation." She grabbed her helmet and moved away from the bench. Carter sighed and slipped his own helmet back on. "Look at it this way, sir. It will give you more stress for me to work out of you."

Carter shook his head. "You give me enough stress as it is." The two made their way out of the room to find somewhere that they could help.


	32. 051 Epiphany

051 Epiphany

Kat moved over to where Carter was kneeling. She hooked her arms under his armpits and pulled him back to cover, away from the plasma. Carter didn't stop her, letting her drag him behind a rather large rock where he'd be safer. Carter's hand was pressed to his side, trying to stop the bleeding. Kat knelt at his side. The Lieutenant Commander examined the wound but found that alien blood was splattered across her helmet. She reached up, trying to clear it from her vision, but only managing to smear the liquid. She removed her helmet and set it to the side.

She pushed his hand to the side, away from his wound. He moved it and her hands replaced his. She felt Carter lean against her. She took a deep breath and her senses filled with blood and scorched metal. Her heartbeat quickened as the memory of his lips on hers flashed through her mind.

Kat shook her head slightly. Her hands moved and worked, but her mind kept going back to that moment, to the thought of how close he had been to her. She frowned in frustration as she fought to keep her full attention on his wound and stopping the blood. If she messed up it might do more damage than good.

He flinched and his hands clenched as she worked. "I'm almost finished," she assured him. She was careful as she patched his side, being sure that she completely sealed up the wound before she moved her hands away. She stared up at him and felt uneasy. He was looking at her and she felt an odd urge. She wasn't sure what she wanted to do, but she felt like she wanted him closer. She missed the warmth of his skin under her hand. She frowned.

Carter shifted and struggled to stand up. Kat stopped herself from demanding that he sit back down. Carter looked around, not spotting the rest of their team. "Status, Noble," he ordered.

"Covenant have fallen back to the other side of the river," Jake reported.

"All right, Noble. Fall back and set up defenses. Richard, Sara, I want you to set up sensors. If they come back I want to know it. Jake, see if you can get that hog up and running." Acknowledgment lights flashed on his HUD. He then turned to Kat. She was still staring at his side where she had patched him back up. She was trying clear her mind of the memories that seemed to be determined to plague her thoughts. "How bad it is?"

Kat was snapped to reality by his words. She paused for a moment, forming the words she wanted to say. "I stopped the bleeding, but you need to be careful. I can't seal it enough to permanently fix it, so too much activity will possibly reopen the wound." Kat set her hand on his side, an odd shiver ran through her body. She stared at the spot, her mind wondering why her mind wouldn't focus like it should be. She'd always been cold and sharply focused in battle, and the fact her mind couldn't stay on point was disturbing to her.

"Kat?" Carter's voice snapped her out of her thoughts and she snatched away her hand. "Are you all right?"

Kat nodded. She reached over, grabbing her helmet and slipping it back on. Her mind told her she needed more armor, to be separated more from Carter. That it would stop her mind from wondering. "Yeah, I'm just a bit distracted."

"Well, get your head back in the game. I need you, Kat." Those words sent an odd warmth through her. She was glad to know that he needed her. But there was something else to it. Even in the temperature controlled armor, she felt warm and could feel sweat on her skin. Carter set a hand on her shoulder and she nodded. Kat fought to keep her mind from traveling back to that day as he touched her. "Good, come on, you and I need to check out that armory that Sara found earlier."

"The one that is full of contraband?" Kat frowned behind her helmet. She was wondering if there was any planet left in the universe that didn't have rebels.

"That's the one." Carter turned and moved off, knowing Kat would follow. She was right on his heels, hovering a bit closer to him than usual, worried over his injury.

Kat watched the leader before her, trying to figure out why she couldn't focus. She didn't understand why that incident had reared its head in her mind now, or at all. They'd agreed to act like it had never happened, so why was she thinking about it? At the time she'd been furious that he had kissed her, but something was different. The more she looked back on that day now, the less annoyed she was by it all and rather the more she focused on it. The whole thing had meant nothing to her, only a mistake that he'd made.

She wasn't so sure about that anymore. Now, she was questioning what it had all meant to her. Before that day Carter had always only ever been her leader. Since that day, she'd seen something else in him. She wasn't sure what it was, but it was stuck in her mind, demanding that she acknowledge it. She only wished she understood this attraction enough to know what it was.


	33. 067 Union

067 Union

August 15, 2552

Kat sat in the locker room, feeling uneasy without her armor. Unfortunately, the techs had decided to take the opportunity to upgrade some of their systems to prepare for the next mission. It was the day after they had made their way to the Sabre launch facility. The rest of the Noble Team had nothing to do but sit around and wait for their next assignment.

Kat stared down at the objects in her hand, wondering if she was being foolish. The door opened and her hand snapped shut. The Lieutenant Commander looked toward the doorway and smiled slightly as Carter walked in. "Still no orders yet?" Carter shook his head and Kat sighed. "I hate feeling useless like this."

"There's nothing that we can do about it, Kat. We have to wait for orders." He moved over and sat down on the bench beside her. "How are you doing? This feels like the first real break we've gotten since this all started."

"I'm all right. A little banged up, but overall. I'm all right." Kat raised up her robotic arm and set the hand on her left forearm. The bone was bruised but it wasn't broken. The skin was still bruised as well.

Carter reached over, his hand settling over her robotic one. "I know that you'll be all right. You're tough." His hand moved down her arm to her hand. "What are you holding, Kat?"

Kat clutched the objects a bit tighter. She glanced over at him and couldn't help but smile. There was a spark of curiosity in his eyes and his head was tilted just to the side, making him look adorable to her. She sighed and turned her hand over. She hesitated for a moment before she uncurled her fingers so he could see what she was holding.

Carter stared down at the items, carefully picking them up. He held the two metal circles up so that he could properly see them in the light. "What were you going to do with these?" He still faced the rings but looked at Kat out of the corner of his eyes. His tone was pure confusion and his face was carefully neutral.

Kat became nervous, an emotion that had become foreign to her when she was around Carter. She rubbed her left hand over the metal of her robotic forearm, trying to calm herself. "They are…for us. I thought that we could have them, to remind us that we are what's left of the original Noble team."

Carter's eyebrows rose. "That was your original reason, but what's your reason now?" He turned a bit to the side, resting his right forearm on his right leg so that he could look at her.

"I think you know what my reason is now." Kat locked eyes with him. She watched his eyes turn down to look at the rings, to her hand, then back up to her. She looked away from him. "Maybe the Covenant being here just got to me more than I thought it did. It was a stupid idea."

Carter shook his head. "I think that it's shaken us all. Seeing that ship appear out of nowhere and then blast our ship out of the sky, that shook me." His right hand reached over, grabbing her left hand. His thumb ran lightly over her fingers. "It's not stupid, Kat." There was a pause before he spoke again. "But you know we can't be."

"I know that we can't. I'm not asking for that." Kat picked her words carefully before she continued. "I'm simply asking for a promise. A promise that you will always have my back, that I'll be the only one for you, that you'll always be mine. Simply a show that it is official, even if only you and I know what it means."

Carter sighed. He released her hand and her shoulders fell. He shifted the rings into his right hand and took her left hand in his. He held up her hand looking into her eyes. "Catherine, I promise to always have your back. To always love you and only you. To at least listen to your plans. I promise that I will always be yours." He slipped the smaller of the two rings onto her finger.

Kat felt the warm smile cross over her face. The look in his eyes told her that he meant every word. She heard metal touch metal as he placed the second ring in her right hand. She took his left hand, enjoying the feel of it in hers. "Carter, I promise to always have your back, in and out of battle. To always love you and only you. To try not to go against your orders too often. I promise that I will always be yours." She slid the ring onto his finger.

Carter leaned forward, his lips meeting hers in a gentle kiss. There was a sound of mechanisms and the two Spartans moved away from each other. Kat slid along the bench, so she was separated from Carter by almost a foot. The door slid open and Carter and Kat stared at Emile.

"Sir, the techs have finished with your armor. I have to say, this new stuff has a better motion tracker and the camouflage is better." Emile's voice held a hint of childlike glee.

"Thank you, Emile. I'll be there shortly." Carter nodded to the violent Spartan. Emile shrugged and left the room. Carter waited until the door slid shut again. He turned back to Kat, frowning a bit. He didn't want to leave, not yet.

Kat smiled at him, leaning over and placing a quick kiss on his cheek. "Go on, Commander. Maybe this means we'll get a new mission soon." Carter nodded and left the room.

Kat looked down at the ring on her finger. She couldn't believe he'd gone for it. She supposed after her plan to use the slipspace drive as a bomb everything else would sound sane. Sure, it wasn't like a civilian union, but nothing a Spartan did was normal. Their union may not be normal, but it was exactly what she wanted.


	34. 008 Weeks

008 Weeks

Kat walked into the room, causing Carter to turn toward her. The door slid shut behind her and she locked it. "What's wrong?"

Kat walked over to Carter, glancing around the room. She knew that he had been given a room of his own so that he could work on things, but she hadn't been in it before. She never would have dared to walk into his domain before four weeks ago. "He does know."

"Emile?" Carter clenched his fist and Kat nodded. "Damn, when did he find out?" He turned on his chair, leaning against the edge of his table. He crossed his arms over his chest to try to keep himself from fidgeting. "Do you think he knew from the start?"

"It is possible. He was there, he was the one…" She stopped, not feeling comfortable saying it out loud. "Not to mention we weren't really comfortable for that first week. There were those few days it was awkward between us."

Carter nodded. "True, though after we set down the rules, we were keeping it under wraps. We acted normal around the team."

"When we were both in the room. Maybe something in our actions when it was just one of us with him in a room gave it away." She hesitated for a moment. "I know that I felt unsure and odd about it all. I mean, we didn't have the hang of it yet." She remembered how things had been that first week. She hadn't known when an action would be too much or when it wasn't enough. She'd been hesitant to even touch him for that first week. "Maybe it showed through when we were alone, or thought we were alone."

Carter frowned, reaching over and pulling over a second chair. "Is there something that you're not telling me, Kat?"

Kat shook her head and moved over to the seat, sitting down beside him. "No, not anything that I can think of. I was very careful for that first week. I didn't want people to find out."

"Then maybe it was the second week." Carter shifted, trying to think. "That week we were secure. We had figured out how to keep a balance. Maybe we were so secure it showed outside of your work space." He remembered that week well. He'd figured out her signs of when she welcomed his touch or when she didn't want it. He'd also learned several subtle ways that he showed her he was open to her affection and when he felt it wasn't proper.

"We limited our time together that week. We made sure that it looked like everything was still business. Hell, most of our time was spent just sitting around and talking. That week I don't think even gave anything for him to use to find out." Kat shook her head. "Maybe it was last week."

"We were even more careful that week. We spent barely any time together." Carter ran his hand over his head trying to think straight. "I though Emile knew. Maybe it's because I brought up a new six to the group?"

"How would that have made him suspicious?" Kat's head tilted to the side slightly.

"Because it was too much. Not spending any time with you, opening that topic to all of them. That's not exactly normal for us. I only let it go because you said he wasn't likely to tell anyone and the rest of Noble doesn't seem to know. Maybe it's because of this week. Because we went back to not being careful. The sudden change again might have confirmed his suspicions."

"He's not going to tell anyone. He told me so." Carter looked at her, surprised. "He said as long as we keep it off the battlefield he doesn't care."

"Did you tell him he was right?" Carter's question hung in the air.

Kat glared at him. "Of course I didn't. I told him he was imagining things and to stop spending so much time with the ODST." She took a deep breath and sighed. "I don't think he is going to tell, I still stand by that."

"He might not, but we still have to be careful around him. I don't want to give him anything definitive he could use to blackmail us or anything." Carter nodded his head, as though assuring himself he was taking the right course of action.

"I would say you are being paranoid, but knowing Emile, that's completely reasonable." Kat glanced over at Carter. His body was slightly tilted toward her and his hands were on his legs. She recognized the signs and leaned over, giving him a quick kiss. "Everything's going to be fine, Commander. For all we know it's all of this and Richard passed on what he knew. The two of them were close." Carter frowned as she addressed him by his rank. "Well, we don't want to make him suspicious." She turned and walked out of the room. Carter watched her go, enjoying the sway of her hips.

The next week they found their six. A new name had been added to the candidate list and they both agreed she was perfect. The selection was followed directly by Carter teasing Kat about no longer being the only woman. After a short conversation about Kat being jealous, the teasing continued until the door had to be locked. The two were together for the second time.

The next days were filled with quiet, solemn moments. They were hard days while they waited for the new six to arrive. On the day she arrived they were deployed to Visegard Relay.

It was be four weeks after Visegard that Kat took a sniper shot to her head. Only nine weeks after Carter lay down their rules, he carried her body to the pelican, his heart broken. Ten short weeks after Carter would admitted his love to Kat, Carter joined Kat in the serenity of death.


	35. 054 Jealousy

054 Jealousy

"I have to admit, she is perfect for the team." Kat looked down at the data pad sitting on the desk. She glanced around the room again. She had to admit that she felt an odd sense of honor that Carter was letting her into his office. She glanced over at the cot that had been set up to one side of the room. She'd been wondering where he'd been sleeping. It explained why the blanket and pillow she'd stolen from his cot in the main barracks the rest of the Spartans were using hadn't smelled like him at all. He'd been working late recently and falling asleep in his office.

Carter noticed her staring at his cot and moved over to the desk, leaning against it in her line of sight. He raised an eyebrow and smirked. Kat looked away. "See something that interests you?" His voice held a teasing tone. He rested one of his arms on the desk and the other hand on his side. The two of them had spent the past weeks making jokes and teasing since they had had sex but had yet to actually take any further again.

Kat looked back at him and the smile fell from his face as he saw the slightly sad look on her face. "I was just thinking about how much I miss you sleeping in the same barracks as the rest of us." She shrugged and looked back at the data pad. "Not to mention it is so much harder to steal your blanket and pillow if they are in there."

"You're always welcome in here, Kat." Carter reached over, running his fingers over her robotic arm. He was careful not to use enough pressure that she would notice. "Though I'm surprised you didn't just break in and take them."

"I figured you'd get mad if I did." She glanced toward him and he removed his fingers from her arm. Kat smirked. "Why do you do that? You know that I can't feel it."

"I know. But this way I get to touch you and I don't disturb you." Carter looked down at the datapad, looking for a way to get off the subject. "So are we in agreement?"

Kat sighed and nodded. "Yes, we agree. We have our new six." She looked back down at the information on the screen. "I have to admit, it will be nice having another person like me on the team."

"You mean another smart, strong woman, who will probably go against all my orders?" Carter moved to the back of the chair and leaned on it, looking down at the screen over Kat's shoulder.

Kat leaned back so her back was pressed against his chest. "Stop trying to kiss up. You're still weird and you need to start sleeping in the main barracks." Kat craned her head back so she could look up at the Commander. "What I mean is another woman, and one that has an arm, like mine."

Carter tilted his head to the side. "You don't mind not being the only girl on the team?" Kat shook her head. "I would think you liked being the only woman."

"Why would I be against having a teammate that's not an idiot?" Kat smirked up at him and Carter couldn't help but smile back.

"Well, I can think of a few reasons." Carter hesitated for a moment but Kat raised her eyebrow and he knew that he had to give his reasons. "Well, another woman will bring up the question of who is the more beautiful of the two. There's also the fact that we have a communal shower. Most normal marines avoid it when we're in there but how will you feel about her being in the same shower…as me." Kat frowned at that one. "And I guess the only other reason I have would be that she seems to have a wide and high skill set, she might steal your thunder."

Kat stood up from her seat and turned toward Carter. "So basically all of your reasons revolve around me being jealous of this new woman. First of all, appearances mean nothing to me. Let the boys gawk at her. I've never cared much about that. I am confident in my appearance. For your final one, she'll never be as good with tech as I am. I've looked over her skills, and I don't see it as a threat to my 'thunder' as you called it."

"I do have to admit, no matter how skilled she is you'd be able to wire circles around our new six." Carter took a step away from the chair. He'd hesitated in telling her the reasons because he thought it would anger her, but he couldn't stop himself. "So then, you wouldn't mind if I stared at her? Wouldn't mind if I watched her walk down the hallway?"

"I said I wouldn't mind if the boys looked at her, not you. You stare at her and there will be consequences." Kat crossed her arms over her chest and let her hips rest against the table for support. "You are not a boy."

"No, I'm not." Carter stared at her, realizing what the consequences would be. She'd completely cut him off. He was enjoying this a bit too much. Usually she was the one teasing him but he finally had a chance to tease her. "What about the second reason I gave you?"

"What about it?"

"You wouldn't mind if I was in the shower and she came in as well? You wouldn't mind if she looked at me? Saw me without clothes?"

Kat's hands clutched her arms a bit tighter. "Why would I? It's not like I could say anything to her without giving this away." She motioned to the two of them. "If she wants to look, then she can."

Carter moved closer to her and smirked. "So then you wouldn't mind if she gets a good look at this?" He pulled up his shirt enough so she could see his chest. "You wouldn't be jealous at all that she would see?"

"First of all, I hope you locked the door. Second, the technicians have seen you naked a thousand times, and so did all of our former female teammates. Why would this be different?" Kat shifted a bit, unable to keep her eyes off his chest.

"I did lock the door. I was willing to fight you over this six if need be so I took the precaution so we wouldn't be bothered." Carter couldn't help but smirk as she stared at him. "Technicians are hardly a threat to you. None of them would dare to check me out since I'm a Spartan. As for the other teammates, back then we weren't together. No one said they didn't look at me, that they didn't check me out at times."

Kat took a deep breath to control herself. "It still doesn't matter to me. No matter how much she looks. This," her hand reached out to run over his chest, "is mine. If she even tries to go near it, she'll have hell to pay from me."

Carter stared down at her and she recognized something that sparked through his eyes. "I'm glad I locked the door." His arms pulled her against him as his lips captured hers in a kiss.


	36. 073 Heat

073 Heat

Carter walked out of the main building into the open air of the base. He was hit by the heat of the bright summer day right away. The humidity in the air made his muscle shirt stick to his skin and he could already feel it sinking into his skin. He almost went back inside but he had a reason to be out.

Carter made his way across the base to a shed that was off to the side. Kat had acquired the shed to be her workspace while they were on base. The staff hadn't fought her on it. No one fought a Spartan when they wanted space. He moved to the door and knocked. He didn't wait for her to answer and opened the door, walking inside. Sadly, he found that the shed lacked air-conditioning.

"Kat, do you have your after action report from the last mission?" Carter stopped as he caught sight of the Lieutenant Commander. She must have been in the workspace for long enough that the heat had gotten to her. She wore only a pair of short shorts and a black sports bra. She sat on a stool, bent over some device that he didn't recognize. He could see a thin layer of sweat on her skin.

Kat glanced at Carter, then at her shirt which was draped over a crate, then decided not to bother with it. "Close the door, you're letting the cool out."

Carter shut the door and walked over to her. "The cool? You're in a metal box with no air conditioning and you are worried about letting out the cold. There's no cold to let out." Carter glanced down at her device. It looked almost like an EMP device but it wasn't a model he recognized. His eyes moved to her body and he watched the sweat run from the back of her neck, down her back until it reached the back of her bra.

Kat glanced over at him and smirked. "I am as cold as I'm going to get and you letting in the humidity and dry wind isn't going to help. You men really don't know how lucky you are that you can take your shirts off to cool down. This is as close as I can get." She sat up and turned so she was facing Carter, motioning to her torso.

Carter's eyes gladly traveled over her chest, and he took a deep breath. "Well, you could always take that off if you want to." He motioned to the black fabric. "This is your workspace." His voice was lighter than he felt as he teased her.

"So an ODST can barge in here like you just did and see me, then go tell his friends so I can have marines 'accidentally' barging in here all day. Then I'd have to catch them and bust some heads and that would just make me sweatier." She glanced over at him. "And that is not how I would want to work up more of a sweat." The words came out soft, almost as a purr.

Carter forced himself to tear his eyes away from her chest and look back up at her face. He knew she'd seen him staring. "I get your point. About that report."

"Right, I have it, sir." Kat stood up from the stool and moved across the room. She moved over to some shelves that were attached to the wall. Carter couldn't stop himself from watching her carefully as she moved. "I know that I put it over here. I just have to find it." She looked around for almost a minute before she stopped. She walked back to Carter and he frowned as she wasn't holding anything. "You mock me for it and I kill you."

Carter put up his hands in defense and she glared daggers at him. "I won't mock you."

Kat seemed to take his word for it, reaching into her bra and pulling out a data chip. She held it out to him and stared at the wall to their side. "Can't believe I forgot where I put it."

Carter took it and stood in silence for a moment, staring at the chip. "Why did you put it there?" He looked back to her.

Kat frowned at him. "Because these shorts don't have pockets." She motioned to the sides of the shorts. "And I wanted to keep it on my person. Where else could I put it?"

"Well, no other choices would be any better. The only possibility that would be better would be between your underwear and shorts I suppose, but then it would fall out if you walked." Carter frowned, wondering why he had said that.

Kat looked away from him again. "I don't think that was an option, if you know what I mean." Carter raised an eyebrow and she sighed. "It's very hot in here. The less cloth the better."

Realization dawned on Carter and he nodded. "Right, not an option." He slid the chip into his pocket. "I'm going to go review and turn these in." He paused for a moment. "Remember to put your shirt on before you leave." He then turned and walked out of the shed, back across the base to the air conditioned buildings.


	37. 023 Taste

023 Taste

Carter walked down the hallway of the base, making his way to his quarters, and ran a hand through his still slightly wet hair. This week was hard. Now that they were waiting for their new Six, it seemed like most of his time was spent focused on whether he had made the right choice. The only thing that seemed to get his mind off of it was Kat, and she seemed more than willing to give him her time.

Carter keyed the code to his room and walked in, stopping as he spotted Kat. She moved over to him, hitting the controls on the wall behind him. The door slid shut and he heard the lock slide into place. Carter's eyebrow raised and Kat smiled at him, wrapping her arms around his arm. She pulled him toward the desk. "Kat, what are you doing?"

Kat let him go, and moved over to the chair, spinning it around so it was facing away from the desk. She patted the seat and he hesitantly sat down. "Arms behind your back," she ordered.

"And why would I do that?" Carter crossed his arms over his chest.

Kat moved over to him, placing her hands on his stomach and slowly running them up. He moved his arms out of the way on instinct. "Because you trust me and because I'm doing this to try to lift your mood." She ran her hands down his arms, moving his arms behind the chair. He allowed her to do it, though he flinched as the cloth wrapped around his wrists. He looked at her, confusion painting his face. "I don't want you taking it off."

Carter watched her as she moved behind him. She moved directly behind him and the strain became too much on his neck, causing him to look forward again. A cloth settled over his eyes, blocking his vision. "Kat?" His tone was a warning but the Lieutenant Commander only chuckled as she secured the blindfold in place.

"Trust me." The words were a whisper in his ear and he could feel her breath on his skin. It sent a shiver down his spine. "I'll be nice, though, and explain. You have a better tongue for sweets. So when the chef gave me some new desserts he wanted me to test, I knew that I wasn't the right person for it. Then I thought to myself, 'who do I know that can tell me if a sweet is good.' Jorge may be sentimental, but he's never shown a liking for sweets. Emile, I don't think he understands the meaning of the word, and Jun seems to like MREs so I don't think he would know if an old sock tasted good. That left me with only one choice, the only Spartan I know that seems to like sweet things."

Carter shifted, a bit uneasy. "So what's with the blindfold?"

"Well, they say that when you cut off one sense, then the others become stronger. It is said that blindfolding someone can make eating food even more…interesting." Carter heard Kat open a box and then heard her move to stand in front of him. He felt a bit of panic at the uncertainty, but he knew that he could trust Kat.

"You'll rate everything on a scale from one to ten. One being disgusting, and ten being delicious." From the volume of the words he was sure she was leaning down in front of him. Her fingers moved up to his face, grabbing his chin and pulling it down so that he opened his mouth. She carefully placed something into his mouth and he bit down.

Carter chewed the cake, letting himself enjoy the flavors. He could taste vanilla and some sort of fruit though he couldn't place a name with it. He finished the bite and paused for a moment. "I'd rate it a seven." There was movement around him, and he waited in anticipation for her to return. His mouth hung open as he sat blindly waiting.

Carter heard her chuckle and move back up before him. "Seems someone's enjoying our little game."

Something entered Carter's mouth and he bit down. His mouth was flooded with the juice from the strawberry but there were other flavors spreading over his tongue. He could taste chocolate and what he guessed was caramel. "Nine, I liked that one."

"Oh, you have a little juice," Kat purred, leaning forward, her tongue running over his chin to remove the juice. Carter couldn't help the hitch in his breath as her tongue touched his skin.

They continued the taste testing. The next was a pastry with an orange glaze which Carter gave medium marks. It was followed by a chocolate cake with raspberries, which Carter didn't like. Kat finished off the tasting with a pastry with white fudge and bits of an orange-tinted chocolate. Carter enjoyed this last one a lot, giving it a nine-point-five.

"What else you got for me, Kat?" Carter was really starting to enjoy himself. He was fully distracted from the thoughts that had plagued him in the last few days.

"I have a few things left for you to taste." Carter felt something settle on his lap and he knew it was her. She got comfortable and he felt her hands on his neck. Her mouth latched onto his and he gladly returned the kiss in earnest.

She pulled away and Carter groaned, wanting her back. "Twenty." The word came out strained and needy. Carter felt her hands become a force, pulling his head forward. His lips met flesh and his teeth bit into it. He heard a gasp as he bit her, and her hands dug into the back of his neck a bit harder. He reluctantly released his bite and licked his lips. "Twenty-five." Carter leaned forward, returning his mouth to her neck for a better taste.

* * *

Note: over 100 reviews. I want to thank everyone that reads and reviews this this story, if story is the proper term for it. I appreciate every review and they really do motivate me to write new chapters. Thank you everyone. I am far from done yet, this is only like about 1/3 of the prompts so there's ton more Carter/Kat goodness to come.


	38. 090 Home

090 Home

Carter walked into the Noble barracks, stopping as he spotted Richard and Kat sitting side by side on Kat's cot. He tensed at the sight but took a deep breath to calm himself. He walked over to them, removing his helmet.

"Do you remember the festival they used to have each year at Monastir?" Richard grinned happily as he spoke.

"Remember it? I lived in Monastir. I went to it each year. It was what we looked forward to all year long." Kat's eyes had a faraway look to them as though she were more focused on some distant memory. "Those were the happiest days of my childhood."

"I bet you even got all dressed up in a pretty sundress each year. I would have loved to see that. The big tough Lieutenant Commander in a pretty sundress." Richard chuckled at the idea. He lightly bumped his shoulder against Kat's. "Why don't you dress like that anymore?"

"Because I'm not a little girl anymore."

"No, you are not." Richard let his eyes roam over Kat's body and she glared at him.

"Watch it, Richard. She can castrate you." Carter walked over to his cot and sat down so he was facing the other two soldiers. Carter shot Richard a warning glare and the other male Spartan shifted uncomfortably.

Carter's eyes bore into the other male Spartan conveying a silent threat. Richard realized that it was better to not risk the Commander's wrath. "I'll talk to you later, Kat. Sir." Richard stood up and retreated out of the room.

Kat glared at Carter and he put up his hands in defense. "Why did you have to scare him away? We were having a nice conversation." Carter felt a pang of quilt as he saw the disappointment on her face. "I know that you're still mad at him, but I told you it was over. So you don't have to worry."

"I'm sorry, Kat. What were you two talking about, anyway?" Carter moved over from his cot to sit beside her.

"We were talking about life on New Harmony." Kat hesitated for a moment before she spoke again. "I can't believe all this time I didn't know Richard and I were from the same planet. We were just reminiscing about our old home." Kat stared at the floor, her eyes once more lost in thoughts. She suddenly looked up and turned to Carter. "Where were you from?"

Carter had to think about the question for a moment. The name didn't come to mind right off the bat. "Biko, I was born on Biko."

"Do you ever miss it?"

Carter nodded his head. "Sometimes, but not that often." He stared at Kat, his gaze locking with hers as he continued. "At one time it was my home. I had a mother, father, and friends. Though the more I look back on it, the less it feels important to me. Back in training, home was all I thought about. I thought about how my parents had died in the attack, how the planet had been burned. Now, it feels like it's just one out of hundreds of planets that have been burned. I don't think about it that much anymore."

"I hadn't really thought about New Harmony until Richard told me he was from there. The only thing I ever really thought about was being in that escape ship, huddled next to those other children." Kat frowned. She remembered the scared faces of the other children as they were shuttled away. She particularly remembered the blood-splattered face of a little girl. The same face that would later loom over her stunned body and swear she'd get back at Kat for almost beating her in an exercise. "I hadn't even though about my father or mother. My dead friends or anything." Kat hesitated for a moment before she spoke again. "Do you ever miss your home?"

"Noble Team is my home. There's nothing to miss." Carter glanced over at his Noble Two.

Kat pushed Carter off of her cot. "You are so corny." She shook her head and reached over to his cot, taking his pillow and blanket.

"What am I going to use when I go to sleep?" Carter moved to sit on his own cot, watching Kat lay down and clutch his bedding to her chest.

"Next time, don't be so much of a dork." Kat rolled over leaving Carter to try to find a new blanket and pillow.


	39. 032 Birthday

032 Birthday

August 27th 2552

Carter sat down on a crate, taking a moment to himself. They were setting up a full assault on Sword Base to complete its destruction, as they had been ordered. At the moment they were waiting on a group of ODSTs that were going to assist them. Until they arrived, Jun was searching their supplies for better sniper ammunition, Six was doing some repairs to her arm, and Carter had no idea what Emile was doing, probably finding the biggest weapon he could so he could kill more Covenant.

Today was the twenty-seventh of August. Thirty-two years ago Carter had been born on Biko. He'd been looking forward to this birthday; at least, a few days ago he had been. Carter pulled off his left gauntlet and stared down at the ring on his finger. She'd been the reason why he'd been looking forward to this birthday.

It had been seven years since Noble team had been formed, since he'd met her, and every year she'd made his birthday interesting. The first year she had shouted at him, scolded him because he hadn't told her it was his birthday.

The second year she had followed all of his orders during their mission that day. It nearly got them killed, which caused Carter to realize that she did disobey him for a reason. She'd told him it was supposed to be a gift for his birthday. She wasn't going to be a problem for him. He'd made her promise to never give him that gift again.

The third year she brought him Thom's personnel sheet. He'd been so reluctant to replace Sara after her death that he hadn't wanted to even look at the replacements. She'd taken it upon herself to find someone to replace Sara. Maybe it was also why Kat was so determined to shoulder the blame for Thom's death. Because she'd been the one that chose him. In honesty, it was one of the best gifts she had given him.

The fourth year she'd made modifications to his armor. She'd made modifications to his HUD. He had complained about the layout of the new system and she had rearranged it more to his liking. Kat hadd also upgraded the system a bit so that it was easier to him to use. Her last addition was a new override that bypassed the systems that limited the speed at which he could run. She'd warned him to use it sparsely or he'd hurt himself. He later had her add it to the rest of the team's armor.

The fifth year she apologized to him. She forced him to listen to her and hear what she had to say. He had fully planned on just ignoring her for the rest of his life, staying mad for what she'd done with Richard. She gave him something else that day. She said the three words he'd told her never to say. She'd said them, and he couldn't find words for how much it meant to him. He may not have been willing to say them at the time but even the knowledge that she felt the same way was a perfect gift.

Last year she didn't give him anything. He understood. It was only a few days after Richard had died. Things had been odd after his death for a while. On the day of his birthday, she admitted to Carter what it was that Richard had said to her right before his death. It had been the worst gift he had ever been given.

This year was going to be special. She'd told him a few days before Visegrad that she was going to do something special for him this year. He'd been looking forward to it. She was always so creative and it was going to be his first birthday with her as more than a friend. He ran a finger over the ring. At the time he had been afraid to put any title to their union, but it was a Spartan marriage. She had been his wife, even if it was only for a few days.

This year, although she wasn't there with him, at least not in body, she had given him something great. Maybe she'd given him his gift a few days early, but if she had waited he never would have gotten it. This year she had given him her heart, the best gift he could have asked for.

Emile cleared his throat and Carter glanced up at him. The violent Spartan shifted uncomfortably. "Sir, the ODST are five minutes away."

"Thank you, Emile." He continued to stare at his ring. He didn't bother trying to hide it from him. Noble Four already knew about him and Kat. "Is there something else?"

Emile set something down on the crate beside Carter. "Happy birthday, Boss." Emile turned and left without another word.

Carter reached over and picked up the object from the crate. He looked down at the dog tags. He flipped one over so that he could read it. He'd worked so hard to keep himself focused in these last four days. He lifted up the chain and slid it over his head, around his neck. The tags were heavy, heavier than they should have been. Somehow having them helped. He felt the weight, along with the weight of the medallion around his neck, under his armor. He knew that weight would keep him grounded, focused on their mission. "I'm going to make you proud, Kat." Carter's lips lightly brushed over the metal tags. He stood up, new determination burning in him, and slipped on his helmet. He then turned and walked out to meet up with the ODST and find out how well they'd be able to help.


	40. 019 Addicted

019 Addicted

She was addicted; she could admit it. There was no rehab for her addiction, not that she would go. It had a drug like effect on her, almost as though it could get her high.

At first she tried to hide her addiction from him. She'd wait till she was alone before she would let herself indulge in it. At some point he put two and two together and linked it to her.

At the start she didn't replace what she took. It wasn't until he had openly asked who had stolen the items that she took the step of replacing them. At first she had replaced them with duplicates from storage, but that became too much of a hassle. She eventually just started to replace them with her own. It was probably what had given her away.

He confronted her about it. She denied it completely. He pressed the matter, though, and then she admitted she'd stolen them. She did manage to convince him that she would do it purely because it annoyed him. He accepted this excuse, thought had surprised her that he would. She still wasn't sure if at the time he'd accepted it because he didn't know why she was really doing it, or if it was because he didn't mind it…maybe even liked it.

After that she blatantly did it in front of him. She'd steal them whenever she felt like. Whether just because she wanted to sleep or she was punishing him for something he did. He would ask her why she did it and she'd just ignore the question. She'd heard replacements asking veteran members what it was about and only get back a reply that they had no idea.

At some point it became impossible for her to sleep without it. She hated when they were apart. It made it impossible to get her daily fix. The only time she could manage to sleep without it was on the battle field, and that was due to pure exhaustion and the fact that he was right beside her.

Now she lay on her cot, burying her face in her recently stolen prizes. They were always best right after she'd taken them. At that point they smelled the most like him. Her arm circled around the pillow and pulled it closer. She took a deep breath and let herself get lost in her fantasy. She pulled the blanket up around her, surrounding herself in his scent. Curled up in the warmth of his bedding she could let herself believe, get lost in her wishes. Kat let herself be enveloped by it, the idea that instead of just his blanket and pillow that it was actually him. That rather than his blanket it was Carter lying beside her, giving her warmth. That her face was buried into his chest, inhaling his scent.

When she woke up the objects didn't smell like him anymore. They smelled like her. Once more, she was desperate to have any way of pretending that she could have him as her own. She would have to once more find a chance to steal his pillow and blanket so that she could indulge in her addiction before she went to sleep.


	41. 098 Advice

098 Advice

Carter put his gear away in his locker. He'd changed into a pair of sweat pants and a muscle shirt before he planned to head down to the gym for a workout. He shut his locker door and turned around. He stopped as he spotted Richard leaning on the second set of lockers.

"Hey there, Commander." Richard's words rang in Carter's ears, echoing what he'd said before. The image of Kat pushed against the lockers and Richard smiling at him while his face rested on the Lieutenant Commander's chest flashed through the Commander's mind.

"What is it, Richard?" Carter crossed his arms over his chest. If he didn't, then he might reach out and strike the other man.

Richard sighed and shook his head. "I know that you are mad at me. Hell, if one of my subordinates had my precious Lieutenant Commander pinned to some lockers and was making her moan in ecstasy, I would be mad as well."

"Tread lightly, Richard." Carter took deep breaths trying to calm himself. The memory of that day was burning in his mind and he was trying to ignore it.

Richard chuckled; he let his head fall back as a grin spread over his face. "I have to say, the skin on her neck is so soft. I mean, don't get me wrong, her lips are lovely, but there's nothing like the feel of her neck."

Carter's nails dug into his elbows. "That's a superior officer that you are talking about."

Richard shook his head. "Weird, because she kept calling me 'sir', especially when I'd find that one spot." Richard bit his lip. "Though her neck isn't half as soft as the skin on her back. It's so warm and soft. I have to say she was actually more of a pushover than I thought she would be. I thought that she would fight me on it, but she just submitted so easily to me."

Carter's fist struck Richard's face. The other soldier hit the floor. Carter stood over him. Richard moved to his feet and rubbed his cheek. "Don't ever talk about Kat like that again!"

Richard snorted and met Carter's gaze. "You have no idea what you have." A look of confusion crossed Carter's face. "Kat's a beautiful, smart woman. She could have any man in the entire UNSC if she wanted him. But instead she chose you. I don't know why out of everyone she'd choose a blind fool like you, but she did." There was something in Richard's eyes that Carter couldn't identify. "You have no idea how lucky you are. You need to open your eyes and see what's standing in front of you or she'll find someone who can see."

Richard turned and stalked out of the locker room. Carter watched him go. He found it disturbing that he had struck the other man. He was Richard's superior officer, but for just a second he had abandoned protocol. It unsettled Carter that he could lose control like that. Did Kat really mean that much to him, or was he still just hurt from the betrayal.?

Kat entered only a few seconds later. She looked over her shoulder and then toward Carter. "What was that about?"

"Don't ask." Carter turned his gaze to the floor. Kat shrugged and moved to her locker. Carter watched her from behind, thinking about what Richard had said. He admitted that Kat was beautiful. She was definitely the smartest woman that he'd ever met. He reached out, but stopped before he touched her. He pulled back his hand and turned, leaving the locker room to head to the gym.


	42. 077 What?

077 What?

"What? Just tell me what it was." Carter crossed his arms and frowned at the Lieutenant Commander. Kat was turned away from him, arms wrapped around her body protectively. Her head was shaking and she refused to look at him. "You can tell me what he said."

"No, I can't." She moved over to her cot and sat down. He moved to his own cot and sat in front of her. Carter noticed her eyes were shut tightly and she was trembling lightly. He moved over to her cot, sitting beside her. She turned toward him and her arms went around his waist.

Carter wrapped his own arms around her, lending her his strength. "I'm sorry I brought it up, Kat. You don't have to tell me." He held her until she stopped shaking. "You've just been acting weird lately."

"If you knew what he'd said you would understand." Kat's hands still clung to his shirt. Her behavior had started to make Carter worry and her reluctance to release him only made him more uneasy. She'd been awkward and curt with him the past few days.

It had all started when Richard had died. He'd been stabbed by an elite energy sword as he was protecting Kat while she fixed a communications relay. In his last minutes he had told Kat something which seemed to still be bothering her. She had refused to tell anyone what it was that Richard had told her and he hadn't spoken loud enough for anyone else to hear. Carter had let it go at first, but it had gotten to him. Her change in attitude had started to show on the team. There had been little conversation and they were being overly cautious when Kat was around, as though they might say the wrong thing.

Carter had decided to confront her about it. He wished that he hadn't. It hurt him to see Kat this upset and he knew there was nothing that he could do about it. "I'm sorry, Commander. I know that you are supposed to be happy today." Kat let go of him and sat up so that she wasn't leaning on him.

"It's all right, Kat. These last days haven't been easy for you." Carter realized that she was still upset. He wanted to reach out to her, continue to hold her until she was happy again.

"Here I am not even having gotten you a gift." Kat fidgeted. "I'm sorry. I should have gotten you something." She hesitated for a moment and then spoke. "I suppose I could tell you what he said if you really wanted me to."

"You don't have to tell me if it's too much for you, Kat. I'm not going to push it. I just want to understand what's going on." Carter reached over and let his hand rest lightly on her arm. She withdrew from him and he frowned. Usually she would allow him at least that little contact if he wanted it.

Kat clenched her hands and took a deep breath. "He told me it wasn't just physical. That he actually did love me."

Carter took a moment to let the words sink in. He frowned at it. Suddenly so much made sense. The fact that Richard was always protecting Kat in the field, that he gave his life to protect her, and the conversation that Richard had had with Carter after the incident. "That's not all he said, is it? It wouldn't have you this upset."

"You don't want to hear what else he said." Kat shook her head. "You won't like it."

"I'm a big boy, Kat. I can handle it." Carter leaned toward her, wanting to be sure that he heard her.

Kat fidgeted for a moment, not wanting to answer. "He said…" She looked up at him and sighed as she saw the curiosity in his eyes. He had no idea what he was asking for. "He said that you didn't deserve me." Carter frowned and Kat looked away. "He said you take me for granted and if you hadn't, then he never would have had a shot with me."

Carter sat back up, looking away from Kat. They sat in silence until Carter stood up. Kat stole his pillow and blanket, tossing her own over in their place. She lay down on her cot and curled up under the blanket. "Happy birthday, Commander."

Carter looked down at her and felt a pang of guilt. He could admit that Richard was right. He'd known that Kat had feelings for him for a long time, but he'd taken it for granted and pushed her into the arms of another man. He'd let himself indulge in touching her but had shunned any show of affection from her. He made a silent vow. He would try not to take her for granted anymore.


	43. 062 Spring

062 Spring

Carter walked into the locker room and stopped as he spotted Kat. She was sitting on a bench in jogging shorts, a simple white shirt, and her leg pulled up to her chest. "Morning, Kat."

Kat glanced over at him and released her leg. "Good morning, Commander." She set her foot down on the ground. "Would you care to join me for a morning run?"

Carter hesitated for a moment. He wasn't sure about his second in command. They had only been working together for about a month and she seemed pleasant enough. Outside of missions she was respectful and professional, though she seemed to be still guarded, afraid to really bond with the members of the team. "Sure thing; just let me change into proper clothing."

Carter quickly changed into his running clothes. He could have sworn that he felt eyes on him, but when he glanced over his shoulder Kat was facing away from him, stretching for their upcoming run. He shut his locker and tapped the Lieutenant Commander on her shoulder.

The two set off through the base, out onto the long trails that drill instructors used when forcing recruits on long pt runs. To the Spartans, the distance was nothing compared to what they'd run back when they were still in training. They stopped for a rest by a field to avoid overexerting themselves on the run back.

Carter sat down on a rock, grabbing the canteen that he'd brought with him. He took a swig of the refreshing water and held it out to Kat. She took the container, sitting down in the grass. She took a sip of the water and stared out across the field.

Carter watched her carefully. He was still having trouble reading the female Spartan. As he watched, Kat reached over and plucked a flower from the ground. She held it up and stared at the petals as she spun it between her fingers.

"Never took you for a fan of flowers." As soon as the comment left his lips he regretted it. He had no idea how she would take it. She might take it as an insult to her womanhood for all he knew.

Kat looked over at him, no show of emotion on her face. "It is spring. It is nice to see new life rather than the death that we are usually surrounded by." She tossed the flower to the ground. "New plants are growing, trees and flowers are blooming, and animals all over are humping each other to make little versions of them." She shrugged slightly looking out across the field. "It was always my favorite season growing up."

Carter stared at Noble Two. He'd never heard her talk like that about anything. "I always preferred summer. We got out of school." Her expression turned confused, brows furrowed as she tried to remember something. "Though I think that I can learn to love spring."

Kat stood up and tossed the canteen over to Carter. He caught it and put it away.

"Come on, we won't get a proper workout if we sit around all day." She turned and moved back to the path, running off.

Carter shook his head and took off after her. He smiled to himself. He knew just a little bit more about his second in command. He knew that she liked spring, and that somewhere under that Spartan outside was a woman with a soft spot.


	44. 053 Denial

053 Denial

Kat sat down on her cot and winced as pain shot through her side. Her hand traveled to the bruised area. She sighed, still disappointed in herself for having been hurt at all.

"Move your hand." Kat jumped a bit as she looked up to see Carter standing behind her. She hesitated for a moment but she removed her hand from her side.

Carter sat down on the cot beside her. His hand pulled up her shirt so that he could see the bruise. He frowned as he saw the growing blotch on her side. "Did you have the medics check you out?"

Kat nodded her head. "Yes, they said that it was just a bruise, not broken or bruised ribs. It will heal up on its own. Maybe you should kiss it and make it better?"

"Maybe I should." Carter's his eyes were glued to her skin. His other hand reached out, running over the skin. Kat flinched, but he didn't move his hands. His fingers ghosted over her skin, moving to her stomach. His palm rested on her skin and Kat's eyes slowly closed. He leaned toward her and she felt his breath on her neck.

Kat let her head fall back until it lightly bumped Carter's. "Commander." The word was just barely audible, but Carter heard it. He felt the warmth of her skin under his hand and could hear deep breaths. He opened his eyes and realized what they were doing. He pulled his hands away and sat back up.

Kat's eyes snapped open and she turned to look at him. "Carter." She reached out toward him, but he stood up and moved out of her reach. Kat moved her hand to her lap.

"You'll be fine for our next mission." The words were cold and calm, the voice of a leader. She frowned at him. He'd just had his hands on her and was so close to her. Here he was acting as though he had done nothing wrong.

Kat sighed and nodded. "Yes, sir." She turned her gaze to the floor. She knew that it had been just another moment of weakness. That they had to pretend as though it never happened, just like all the other moments that she secretly held so dear. They had to ignore those moments, forever pretending that their emotions didn't exist. She hated to live her life like this, constantly in denial. She had to deny the glances she would take of him while they were in the showers, the way that her body reacted when she watched him work out in the gym. She had to deny her worry over him during missions and the dreams she had of him.

Carter shifted uncomfortably and turned, walking out of the barracks. Kat turned to watch him go, enjoying the way he moved. She wondered if the denial bothered him as much as it bothered her.


	45. 082 If

082 If

Kat sat down on her cot in her workspace. She'd had it put in after she'd fallen asleep at her workbench and fallen out of her chair. Now when she got tired she had somewhere to nap. She glanced over at her workbench where Carter was seated. She was staring at his back. He was hunched over, reading over some battle reports.

Kat lay down on the cot and turned so she could continue to watch him. "If you weren't our leader, you'd have more free time."

Carter glanced over at her and paused for a moment, eyes roaming over her. "I'll be done in a moment. Just have to combine and send the reports in." Carter turned back to the datapad.

Kat sighed and rolled over on the cot so she was staring up at the ceiling. "If I were the leader of Noble, would you listen to my orders?"

Carter finished and sent in the report of their last mission. He turned the chair and his attention fully to the Lieutenant Commander. "I suppose I would, unless it was too suicidal." He stood up and walked over to the cot, staring down at her.

Kat moved over on the cot and turned to her side. Carter lay down beside her, wrapping his arms around her waist. She buried her face in his chest, taking a deep breath of his scent. "If we weren't soldiers, we wouldn't have to hide this."

"If we weren't soldiers, we might never have even met." Carter let his hand move up her back slowly.

"I know that, but I mean if." Kat moved her hand over his chest. "If we weren't soldiers and knew each other. Haven't you ever wondered 'what if' scenarios?"

Carter shrugged. "I have wondered and such if we weren't soldiers." He closed his eyes, enjoying the freedom of having her in his arms.

"Oh, really?" Kat nuzzled a bit closer to him. "If we weren't Spartans, then what do you think you would be?"

"Probably still a soldier. I don't think I'd be good at much else." Cater took a deep breath, inhaling her scent. "What about you? What if you weren't a Spartan?"

Kat paused for a moment then shrugged. "Probably be a programmer, maybe work for ONI. I think I'd be most useful there." Her hand moved up to his neck. "If we weren't Spartans, would you marry me?"

Carter sat up a bit and looked down at her, surprise evident on his face. "What would make you ask that?"

"Would you just answer the question? Or should I take that as a 'no'?"

"You know that that's not what I mean. I'm just curious as to what would make you ask that question." Carter leaned down, placing a light kiss on her cheek. "You know that if we could I would marry you."

Kat smiled up at him. "What about children?" Carter tilted his head to the side. "Would you want them? If we were able to, would you want to have children?"

Carter frowned as he thought. "That depends on if the human-Covenant war would still be going on. I don't know if I'd want to bring a child into the world at this time."

Kat groaned. "I don't mean right away. I mean at some point. It could even be after the war was finished. I don't think I'd want to bring a child into this war, either."

"Well, if the war was over, then absolutely. Though if it happened during the war then I would try to find the safest place in all of the human-controlled world and keep you and our child there where you wouldn't be at risk."

"You're so sweet." Kat pulled him down to her and their lips met.


	46. 042 Hidden

042 Hidden

Kat stared down at the datapad in her hand. She read over the information for the fifth time. She couldn't believe that it could be correct.

She had felt off in the last week. She'd been hungry more often than she was used to. It had been one of the first signs that she thought something was wrong. On top of that, she had missed her period. That wasn't uncommon for her. In the field she sometimes didn't get enough calories to keep her body balanced, which caused her to miss it some months. But there was something off about it this time, something that had made her run a few tests.

She'd brushed all of it off as long as she could, but it was becoming harded and harder to come to any other conclusion. The data that stared back at her didn't help. It only strengthened her theory. The more her mind worked at it, the more she was coming to the same conclusion.

She stood, staring down at the screen. She only looked up when the door opened. Kat tapped the pad and the screen went black. "Is there something I can help you with, Commander?"

Carter glanced over his shoulder and shut the door. He then walked over to her and reached out, his hand lightly touching her metal arm. "What's wrong, Kat?"

"What would make you think that something is wrong?" She set the datapad down and moved over to a communications terminal. "Everything is fine."

"Don't lie to me, Kat." Carter moved to stand behind her, looking over her shoulder at the screen as information and orders scrolled across it. "You looked like you were going to vomit earlier."

"It was just all of the blood. It got to me." It wasn't a lie. Kat had never had an issue with blood in the past, but today, when she'd been working on sending out flight paths to the transports, they had brought in a wounded soldier. As soon as she'd gotten a whiff of the fluid, she'd felt like she was going to hurl. Even though she'd been on the other side of the room she could smell the blood, as though her nose had been right above the wound. She could swear she could even taste copper on her tongue. Even past all the scorched metal and gunpowder in the air, she could smell it. The sudden wave of nausea had freaked her out a bit. She'd been around blood almost all of her life and it had never caused her issues. She'd just knelt at the terminal she'd been working at, trying not to let her disgust show on her face. She'd stayed that way for almost three minutes before Emile had snapped her out of it. But she should have known that Carter would notice.

She wasn't sure how to tell him, or if she should tell him. She made a snap decision; he didn't need to know, not yet. Until there was a better chance, she'd keep it hidden. She tapped a few keys and the screen flickered to life. She paused for a moment, trying to push away the sick feeling as she again caught the smell of blood. She glanced over her shoulder and spotted the red smear on Carter's armor.

Carter's hand moved forward and gently rested on Kat's cheek. He directed her face so that she was looking at him. Her eyes looked up at him as he studied her face. He was frowning and he looked as though he were trying to create plan a complex battle plan.

He leaned in a bit and Kat withdrew. She turned back to the terminal and started to tap in information. She couldn't stand the way he'd been looking at her. Like he would be able to just look over her face and see what she wasn't telling him. He'd be able to see through her denial.

"Why won't you tell me what's wrong?" Kat could hear the hurt in Carter's voice. She knew that he didn't like being excluded from information. Even more when they were in a combat situation.

"It's not important, Carter. What is important is the Covenant jamming our COMs. We can't contact SetCOM." Kat motioned to the screen and she felt him get closer to her. She took a deep breath to calm herself. She knew that if she wasn't careful, he would figure it out. It wasn't something he needed on his mind at the moment. "We need to do something about those jammers." Kat turned toward him and crossed her arms over her chest. "So can we stay focused?"

Carter's eyes moved over her, stopping at her stomach. He looked back up at her and nodded. "You said that you made contact with Six?" Kat nodded her head. "I'll let you have her. You tell her where to go. I want you to stay here and also coordinate the flights of the evac shuttles. The rest of the team will keep the Covenant at bay."

Kat was about to argue, but thought better of it. He was giving her the easy duty. She wouldn't be fighting, just instructing Six and coordinating the evacuation. Sure, it wasn't an easy task, but it was easier than fighting off the Covenant from their location.

Carter turned to leave. "Commander…" He turned back to her. "When we're done with the evac, I'll tell you what's bothering me."

Carter didn't look like the deal was satisfying, but he nodded. "Whenever you're ready to tell me, I'll be there to hear it." He hesitated for a moment. "You look beautiful, Kat."

Kat huffed. "Yeah, I'm covered in sweat and grease. Really beautiful."

Carter smiled slightly. "Only you would be able to be covered in grease and still glow." He slipped his helmet on and walked out of the room.

Kat watched him until the door shut behind him. She turned back to her terminal and her mind went to work. She questioned if she'd done the right thing by not telling him right away. She wrapped her arms around her midsection protectively. She wasn't sure about her decision, but she'd made it and she would stick with it.


	47. 007 Days

007 Days

August 30 2552

Carter stood beside his falcon with Emile, waiting for their time to strike. Colonel Holland's voice crackled over his COM. _"Noble One, this is Noble Actual. Noble One?_"

Carter clicked his radio on. "Go ahead." He tried to keep his voice calm, but even he could hear the fatigue in his voice. It wasn't just that he was tired; he was having trouble keeping himself together in the past few days.

"_We need that base taken out, son. What's your status?_" Holland's voice was urgent, echoing Carter's fatigue.

"Still outside. Thermal on the interior shows standing-room-only. We're gonna have to thin em' out or we'll be way too popular." Carter checked his information. Jun was in place and he only needed Six to check in.

"_Copy that, Noble One. Holland out._" The COM went quiet.

Carter switched channels. "We've got a job to do, so let's stay focused and get it done." The words were more for Carter himself rather than his team. "Six, are you in position?"

"_Affirmative."_ The Beta Spartan's voice was ice over the radio.

"Good. Execute." Carter shut off his com and took a deep breath.

"Sir, are you all right?" Emile moved a bit closer to the Commander.

"I'll be fine, Emile." The violent Spartan shifted. Carter knew that it was a lie. He had been off for the past week.

The first day he hadn't spoken to anyone. He'd stood guard over Kat's body. There wasn't much they could do in the shelter and the civilians seemed fine with leaving them alone. Carter had tried to shift his attention from the fallen woman beside him by looking over the flight paths she had given the civilian transports. They had all been perfect and he couldn't help but be happy to see that she had probably saved thousands of lives with her work.

On the second day he had broken her password. He should have known that it would be something a bit cheesy. She always teased him if he said anything even the slightest bit corny. It turned out to be his birthday. He'd looked through all of her information. There had been pictures of her and several soldiers when they were back in training, and a good number of pictures of him. He'd focused on one particular file. It was a medical test that had been run only hours before she'd taken the shot that killed her. He felt his heart break all over again. He couldn't deny the obvious conclusion. Once more the Covenant had taken his family from him. It depressed him, but the fire within him to kill the Covenant burned anew.

On the third day the evac came. Emile had offered to carry Kat out, but Carter had insisted. He was careful and gentle with he,r though there was no reason to be. She was dead and there was nothing more that could hurt her.

The fourth day had been his birthday. He'd tried to busy himself with setting up the torch and burn op for Sword base. He'd been given some ODST troops to help assist and he spent most of the day waiting for them. Carter would have to wait until a better chance to be able to actually set up the operation.

On the fifth day Noble Team was on the move. They had all piled into some falcons and headed for their target. Six had been moved off with the ODSTs while the rest of Noble hung back a bit.

On the sixth day they had been forced back. Six had been forced to land far away from the base. The rest of Noble had landed in a secure location and they had set up a safe place to wait. Six had kept them updated as she and the marines neared the base.

Today they had gotten word that she was close enough. Carter had an odd feeling when the day started. The falcons were ready and the only thing that they had to wait for was for Six to take out the anti-air weapons so they could make their move.

Something was wrong about today. He had the worst feeling that things were going to go wrong. He'd been checking in with Six regularly, but he couldn't shake the feeling. Emile shifted but didn't say anything. "Just have a bad feeling." Carter moved into the falcon and Emile joined him. Carter signaled the pilot and the ship rose up, heading toward Sword Base.


	48. 057 Hands

057 Hands

To watch her work was like watching an artist. Her hands moved over the device with precision and speed that only she could manage. Wires moved from place to place as she fixed it up.

His eyes watched her fingers as they worked. He marveled that her robotic fingers moved just as easily as her flesh fingers. His eyes watched the digits and a shiver ran down his spine as the memory of those fingers running over his skin filled his mind.

Carter stood up and moved toward Kat. She didn't look up from her work. He moved behind her and looked down, over her shoulder. He wasn't sure what she was doing, but she was confident in her movements. He didn't have a single clue what device she was working on. He could learn, but he had never seen the point. Kat was so skilled with tech that he could never even come close to matching her skill. It was better to just leave it to her.

He didn't even realize at first that his own hands were on the move. They started on Kat's shoulders, slowly making their down her arms. She stopped in her activity, just watching his hands as they ran down her metal arm. His hands didn't stop until they reached hers. Carter's fingers covered hers, surprised by how much larger his hands were then Kat's.

"What are you doing?" Carter's left hand grabbed hers, pulling it back toward him. Kat shifted in her seat so that she could look back at him. Her brows were furrowed in confusion.

"You have such beautiful hands." Carter leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on the back of her hand. "Such soft skin, delicate fingers, so skilled with them." He kissed her knuckles.

"You sure know how to flatter a woman." Kat smiled up at him. "You're just saying that because you want me to use them on you."

Carter shook his head. "I wasn't even thinking of that. It was just the way that you work. It's so beautiful, so amazing." Carter's thumb moved over the back of her hand. "But if you're offering…"

Kat pulled her hand from his grip. "I have work to do, Commander. I kind of need my hands for it." She moved back to the device she was working on.

Carter sighed, defeated. He knew that even he couldn't keep her from her toys. He moved back to his place on the cot. He lay down and stared at her. His eyes slowly closed, his dream filled with thoughts of Kat's hands showing him exactly how skilled they were.


	49. 095 New Year's

095 New Year's

Kat fought the urge to hit the man a couple cots away from her. He'd been bugging Tara for most of the day and it was starting to grate on Kat's nerves.

"Oh come on, Tara, we're running out of time," Thom pleaded.

"For the last time, I will not. The sooner time runs out, the better." Tara crossed her arms over her chest and frowned. She turned away from Thom but he leaned in closer. "Why don't you bug Kat?"

"Hey, don't drag me into this." Kat glared at Tara. "There is no way that I'm going to be his midnight kiss. You keep bugging her, Thom. If you even try it with me I will break your nose."

"Besides, Kat's going to be my midnight kiss." Richard grinned across the room at the Lieutenant Commander.

"Shut up, Richard." Kat was still not comfortable with him making jokes like that. She knew that Richard was getting a good laugh out of it but she still was ashamed by her weakness and having given in to Richard. Kat stood up from her cot, no longer able to take the pointless conversation. Thom had been bugging Sara for the last three hours, while Emile and Richard cracked jokes. It was all getting to be annoying. "I'm going to find the Commander."

"Oh, want him to be your kisser?" Emile chuckled though his grin was hidden by the round reflective face plate of his armor.

Kat didn't reply. She walked out of the barracks and down the hallway. Kat searched the normal spots, checking the lab and the locker room. She didn't find him until she checked the weapons locker. Carter was checking over the equipment.

Kat moved into the room and stood beside Carter. "Why are you here? There are techs to check over all this stuff."

"I don't trust them with it. Why are you here?" Carter put away the assault rifle he had finished checking. "Shouldn't you be with the others?"

"So eager to get rid of me." Kat crossed her arms over her chest and moved to sit on a crate. She stared across the room at a series of weapons hung on the wall. "I couldn't stand being in the barracks. Thom is trying to convince Tara to let him be her midnight kiss and Richard and Emile are being childish. Not to mention if I stayed there, Richard would likely ambush me at midnight."

"Why does Thom want to kiss Tara at midnight?" Carter moved over to Kat, standing beside the crate she was sitting on. "Why would he care what time?"

Kat ignored the fact he wasn't upset that Thom wanted to kiss Tara at all. She focused more on his ignorance as to the reason. "Carter, it's December thirty-first. It's New Year's eve. The tradition is to kiss someone at midnight."

"I know the tradition, Kat. I just didn't think that Thom would care about that kind of thing." Carter frowned at her. "I don't see why it being a new year matters anyway."

"You never see the reason behind holidays or traditions. Didn't you have holidays with your family? Back before you became a Spartan?" Kat looked away from him, turning her attention to the floor. "I don't remember a lot of holidays. I lost my parents when I was very young. Most of the celebrations I do remember were during the warmer months. But I remember New Year's. I remember how my parents counted down the seconds until midnight, and when it was time my father took my mother into his arms and kissed her." Kat smiled as she let herself get lost in the memory.

She sat in silence, reminiscing the memories of the holidays. A hand cupped her chin and pulled her face up. Carter's lips met hers, pulling her a bit toward him. The kiss only lasted for a couple seconds before Carter pulled away.

Kat took a deep breath to calm herself before she brought herself back to reality. "What was that for?"

Carter motioned to the digital clock on the wall. It indicated that it was midnight. "Happy New Year's." Noble One moved out of the room leaving Kat sitting on the crate. A slight smile snuck its way onto her face.


	50. 064 Fall

064 Fall

"We stand out too much." Kat glanced up at the trees above them. Their blue armor stood out against the golds and reds of the leaves. "The Innies are going to see us." She turned her attention back to her only teammate for this mission.

Carter paused beside her. She was right. For once he wished he had his old SPI armor back. Its active camouflage would have been helpful. "We'll wait until night. Even with this terrain and foliage we can sneak in." Kat nodded and the two moved through the trees to a small river. They'd spotted the small cove on their way toward the insurrectionist camp.

Kat took point and moved into the shelter, sweeping it for danger. "Clear." Kat lowered her weapon and relaxed.

Carter followed her in, watching the Lieutenant Commander. Kat sat down on a rock, removing her helmet. "We have a few hours until night falls."

Kat shook her head. "I hate fall." She set her helmet down on the rock beside her.

"It's not that bad. It may mean that we have to wait, but night is always safer. We'll also catch most of them asleep." Carter sat down on the rock beside her, removing his own helmet. "Count it as a blessing."

"It's not just this mission. I just don't like fall." Kat looked down to the ground. "I've never liked fall."

"This I have to hear. After your explanation of why you like spring I have to know why you dislike fall." Carter leaned a bit toward her, genuinely interested in her reasoning.

"You're like a child sometimes, you know that?" Carter smiled slightly and Kat sighed. "I don't think it's as good as my reason for liking spring. I simply don't think death has the right to be so beautiful. All the leaves are dead and they turn such wonderful colors."

"That's why you don't like it?" Carter raised an eyebrow.

"I told you that it wasn't as good as why I like spring." Kat glared at him and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I think you're looking at it the wrong way. The leaves may be dying, but the trees do it to survive." Carter turned his gaze to look out of their shelter. "The leaves are like soldiers and the tree is humanity. The soldiers are sacrificed so humanity can live on until spring."

Kat scowled. "I suppose that is a better way of looking at it. Though it still doesn't have the right to make that sacrifice look so beautiful."

Carter paused for a moment ,surprised to hear Kat refer to anything that wasn't circuitry as beautiful. He turned his gaze back to her. "A soldier dying for the greater good, to save it, is a beautiful thing. Turning lovely colors is their last gift to the world. Death is hardly ever beautiful; it's always ugly and dark. I like that nature can make it bright and beautiful."

"Sometimes, and only sometimes, you have an amazing way with words." Kat smiled slightly. "Couldn't just let me hate it in peace, could you?"

Carter shook his head. "No, I want all your anger directed at the Covenant, not the season."

Kat's fist struck Carter's shoulder. She then turned so her back was leaning against him. "Keep watch. I'm catching some shuteye before we attack the camp." Carter nodded, turning himself so Kat was leaning against his back and he could watch the entrance of their shelter. He gazed out, watching as the bright fall leaves fell from the sky.


	51. 068 Afraid

068 afraid

Fear was a luxury that Spartans were not allowed. Still, Carter understood what it was. He felt it every time that he sent members of his team off on side missions. He feared that they wouldn't return. He'd been trained though, to push that fear aside and stay focused.

His fear with her was different. He couldn't push away his fear when it came to her. It was always present when he let her lead ops, or when she was separated from him in the field. He was always eager to hear her voice again, hear her report in that everything had gone according to plan. Whenever she was late to report he felt fear course through him until she finally reported in. When she did, she was either annoyed or tired. He only ever really felt at ease when he saw her again and saw that she was unhurt.

After particularly bad missions the fear would seep into his dreams, causing him to wake with nightmares of her death. He'd had nightmares of the fallen soldiers, of how they died, but they didn't scare him half as much as the ones about her did.

He could count the times she'd had him scared that she would leave him or she would die. The first time had been when Brian had showed up in the infirmary close to death. He'd feared that the only reason he hadn't seen Kat there was because she was dead. When he'd found out that she wasn't dead he'd been so relieved. Still, his fear had been there, had nearly broke him. In the end it had gotten the better of him and in that fear he made the mistake of kissing her. This brought in the new fear that she would transfer out of the team, that she hated him.

The second time had been when he found Richard and Kat together. He didn't understand this fear in the slightest bit. He'd tried to understand it, but no matter how hard he tried it was there. It didn't go away after Kat apologized, or after he forgave her. It stayed with him for years after the incident, but he never understood what the fear was of.

The last time was when they'd made love for the first time. He'd been so willing to make it work, but he'd been afraid that she would still hesitate. When he'd gone to her workshop that day, he'd been more afraid than any time before. It was a miracle that he'd been able to hide it from her.

Each and every time that he felt one of these fears she always eased it way. Even with the fear the second time. Each time she replaced it with more joy and pleasure then he'd imagined that he could get from another person. Kat could make him more afraid than an entire Covenant armada, but she always made it up to him in the end.

That fear was once more creeping over him. It was why he was here in the gym working out. He was hoping to chase the fear away, take his mind off of Kat being out in the field without him, but he was failing. Carter stared up at the ceiling; having lost count of his reps. He froze in lifting the weights as a face appeared above him.

At first he thought it was just his head getting lost in thoughts of her, but she frowned at him. "You do realize you're supposed to have a spotter if you are going to lift weights like that." Carter lifted the bar up and Kat helped him set it on the rack above the bench.

Carter sat up and turned to watch Kat walk around the bench to stand at his side. He tried to hide the relief from his voice. If she caught it she'd know he had been afraid and take it as him having a lack of faith in her abilities to command a mission. She'd already been doubting herself since Thom's death, so he didn't want to give her any reason to think he would doubt her.

"Jun is on the firing range and you took Emile and Jorge with you. I didn't have any other backups to spot me so I had to go without." Carter paused for a moment. "How'd the mission go?"

Kat frowned and moved to sit in front of him. She straddled the bench, facing him. "You don't think I can handle such an easy mission."

Carter didn't respond to that. "Did you complete your objective? Any injuries?"

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't complete my mission." Kat looked away from him. "We were all fine. The medics still insisted on looking us over."

"You don't seem happy about that." Carter scowled, the fear once more rising in him. "Where were you hurt?"

"My arm." Kat pulled up her sleeve enough for Carter to see the bruise. He blushed as he recognized the size and shape of the bruise. "You really need to be a bit more careful." Carter felt a bit of relief, realizing that the injury wasn't serious, though he was embarrassed that he'd been careless enough to bruise her. Kat smiled at the blush on his face. "At least you don't bite hard enough to leave marks."

A smile cracked over Carter's lips. With the silly comment the last of his fear had been brushed aside. His hands moved to her back and her neck, pulling her closer. His lips met hers and he broke it away after a few seconds. He stood up, moving through the gym toward the showers.


	52. 093 Gentle

093 Gentle

Strong, forceful, brute force, killers. All words that people would use to describe a Spartan. Gentle was a word that was never associated with them. They'd been trained to kill aliens and take out insurrectionist, and none of that required a gentle touch. Kat had a skilled touch when it came to tech, but it wasn't what most would consider gentle, forcing her way into systems and reconfiguring devices.

Gentle was a hard concept for any Spartan to understand. Since the glassing of their planets and their training all the gentle had been worked out of them. Instructors had knocked it out of them and the Covenant had glassed it all away.

At first these statements had been true to Carter. At first he had left marks and bruises, though she knew that it was only because he didn't know how not to. She had never really expected that he would, but she had expected him to be a bit gentler with her then he was with a grunt. When she showed the bruises to him, that all changed.

After that he was too gentle with her, like she was made of glass. His touch was feather light no matter where it was. It annoyed her. The touch was usually so light that she couldn't even really feel it. She wanted to feel him, just not end up with bruises from him. It had ended in an argument between them. Carter defending his inability to find an in-between and Kat trying to convince him he could. He hadn't been gentle that time.

He never really got a hang of it. He always was slipping between too rough and too light. Sometimes he would get so close to exactly what she wanted, but the next time he'd be to one of the extremes. She'd tried to show him, be gentle yet forceful at the same time. She never left marks on him but always left him satisfied. That was not to say that Carter didn't leave her happy, just that he could never perfect it.

Even getting close to what she'd wanted was more then she had expected from Carter. She'd seen him easily smash his fist through an elite's skull on the battlefield. The fact that he'd been able to pull it back at all was better then what she had ever hoped for.

Kat's back hit the wall as he pinned her to it. She flinched a bit at the hit. It didn't really hurt, but it was her way of letting him know he was being too rough. His grip loosened on her arms and she pulled him a bit closer. When she did, he stopped loosening his grip. She'd learned how to direct him, lead him to be gentle with her but still forceful enough. Her head moved to the side and his mouth moved to the exposed skin. Her hands moved to the back of his neck, once more pulling him closer or pushing him away to lead him to the amount of force she desired.

Gentle may not be a term that Spartans really understood, but in time, Kat planned to teach Carter the meaning of the word.


	53. 012 Strangers

012 Strangers

Kat sat down in the grass and lay back, exhausted.

"You all right, Noble Two?" Carter knelt down beside her and his helmet tilted slightly to the side.

Kat's hand pushed him away and she sat up. "I'm not the one you should be worried about." Kat glanced over her shoulder at Richard who was passed out. "He'll be fine really, just knocked out cold."

Carter took a seat next to his second in command. "That mission was a total mess." He reached up and removed his helmet, running a hand over his short hair.

"It wasn't that bad. We managed to kill all of our enemies and complete our objective with just the three of us." Kat lay back on the grass and looked up at the night sky above them. "Wish those cruisers would go away."

"They won't go away. Likely they'll glass this planet as soon as they are finished destroying us on the ground." Carter glanced over at Kat and lay down beside her, staring up at the sky. "You and I need to work together better."

"We will, we just have to know each other better. Give it a little time." Kat removed her helmet and set it to her side.

"Unfortunately, I don't think we really have the time." Carter turned his gaze toward the stars above. "So tell me about yourself."

"What exactly do you want to know, Boss?" Kat put her hands behind her head.

"Tell me anything you want to. Tell me about your family, your home, what you like and don't like. What do you hope for the future?" Carter shifted a bit to be more comfortable on the ground. His armor really wasn't built for lying on the ground.

"Well, I didn't have much family, only a mother and a father. I don't really remember much about them. The only thing I really remember about my home was the summer holiday. They always had a big festival in the warmer months and we went and had fun for all the years I can remember. I don't…I don't think I remember the name of the festival, or even the names of my parents." She frowned at this realization. "'As for likes and dislikes, I like technology, it is after all what I am best with. I don't like the Covenant, but that is a given. I don't like chauvinistic boys. I remember one that used to tease me back home, don't know his name or even what he teased me about, just remember him laughing at me."

"I'm sorry, Kat. I didn't mean to bring up unpleasant memories." Carter cursed his questions. The last thing he wanted to do was bring up memories that she would hate him for. He was trying to make friends not annoy her.

"I don't really think about it much, so it doesn't bother me. I used to hope for the future that I would get to kill all of the Covenant. Right after my hope was glassed, I remember being so mad at them and wanting them all to die. That changed though. Now, I just hope that humanity will survive. I don't want revenge for the death of my family, just to try to make a future at all." Kat looked over to Carter. "Now your turn. Trust is a two way street, after all."

"You're right." Carter sat up and hesitated for a moment. He reached to his belt and pulled out a small device, activating the holostill. He handed it over to Kat and she carefully sat up and took it. "That's my mother, father, and myself, before the glassing."

"They are lovely, your parents." She handed the image back to him and he stared down at it.

"Thanks. They were good people. I remember my home clearly. Biko was the perfect place to me back then. It was nice weather, long warm summers spent with friends and my family. I remember that the winter there was always hard but that we'd go out and have snowball wars. Hard to think now that things were so innocent." The two fell into silence for a moment before Noble One continued. "I like good soldiers at my back, ones that follow orders." A slight smile spread over his face and a smirk tugged at the edge of Kat's lips. "I dislike the Covenant as well. They took everything from me. My friends, my family, my childhood, all of it gone. I hate losing people that I care about. The closer they are to me the more that I hate it. When it was separated from my Alpha company team I wasn't happy. I thought they needed me, I was their leader. Though, really, they'll be fine. The Lieutenant Commander said that he was going to send them to be specially trained in duo team offensives. The two of them will be all right without me."

"You stating that or trying to convince yourself of it?" Kat raised an eyebrow and Carter looked away, knowing that he didn't want to answer the question. "What about your hope for the future?"

"I hope to destroy the Covenant. I remember how much it hurt when they killed my family. I want to make it so no other child has to go through that like I did." Carter put the holostill away and looked up at the Covenant cruisers.

"You know, I'm a bit jealous." These words brought Carter's attention back to the woman beside him. "I don't remember anything about my family. I don't even know if I had friends back home, just that I lived there. I'm a bit jealous that you do remember those things, that you had those bonds. I don't even think I really got along with my team during training. Ted never listened to my plans, just wrote them off. The one time he did, we almost won, but he said since we didn't then I had failed. Not my fault that she was just better than us."

"Well, for what it's worth, despite him," Carter motioned to Richard, "your plan back there was a good one. We would be in much worse condition without it."

"Thank you for listening to my plan, sir. All I really ask for is to be listened to every once in a while." Kat smiled at him and Carter grinned back.

"That's all I'm asking for as well. To be listened to at least part of the time." Kat laughed and Carter's smile softened. For the first time he really felt like he and Kat were getting along. For once he didn't feel like she was a stranger any more.


	54. 094 Independance

094 Independence

Carter ducked down as the wraith tank fired. The ball of blue plasma washed over the road and left nothing but black scorch marks. "Noble Two, I need you to take care of that tank." He wasn't sure if Kat had been lying or telling the truth earlier when she'd said that she could handle the situation. She'd said that she could take out the tank without a sniper rifle or a rocket launcher. He hadn't worked with her long enough yet to know if it was the truth or just boasting.

"I'm handling it. The damn thing won't come closer." Kat uttered a curse, something Carter had never heard from her.

"If you can't get to the tank then fall back and we'll figure something else out." Carter dove out of the way and the spot where he'd been crouched was burned away by plasma. "That thing's aim is getting too good. Fall back, Noble. That means you too, Two."

"No, I can do it." Kat's tone was defiant. Carter had already identified it as the main signal that she was about to go against his orders.

Carter moved to the edge of his cover and looked out at the tank. A light blue armored figure ran up to the tank from the side. The vehicle tried to turn to face her, but before it could do anything she had climbed up on it. Carter watched as she struck the vehicle, making a hole into the cockpit. She then stuck in a grenade and jumped from the wraith. Carter could almost see the panicked face of the driver as it tried to open the hatch and get away.

Kat turned to see a line of ten grunts taking aim at her. There was no time for Carter to react or do anything to help her as the aliens charged their plasma pistols. Kat didn't hesitate for a second before she ran toward the line and jumped over the small aliens. She ducked down and the grenade went off inside the tank. Blue fire and burning shrapnel flew forth. Four of the grunts were cut down by the explosion and the remaining six cowered in fear.

Kat's motions were fluent as she grabbed the pistol from her hip and took aim. Six shots, six dead grunts. Kat swept the area and stood up when she was sure there were no more enemies.

Carter couldn't help but stare at her as she walked back over to them.

Richard seemed to be thinking the same thing as Carter. "Damn that was hot."

Carter frowned at Richard's words. He wanted to tell the other Spartan to shut it, but the thoughts that were currently creeping through his mind involving his second in command suggested that he agreed.

Kat walked over to Carter and stood beside him. She placed her hands on her hips and titled her hips to one side, an obvious sign to Carter that she was smirking at him behind her helmet. "Told you I could do it."

Carter pulled himself out of his thoughts. "Never said you couldn't." He felt an odd reaction in his body as he looked her over. He told himself he was only checking over to be sure she hadn't been injured but the growing heat make him second guess his own motive. "Good job, Catherine."

"For the last time, I prefer Kat." She turned from him and walked toward their target. Carter couldn't help but watch her walk away from him.

"Got to love a woman with some independence in her." Richard moved up to Carter's side, letting out a low whistle as he watched her walk away.

Carter felt a spike of anger rise up as Richard leered at Kat. Carter frowned to himself in confusion at the odd anger. "Keep in mind she is your superior, and has every right to punch you." Carter moved off to follow after Kat.

"Whatever you say, sir." Richard shrugged and followed after the other two.


	55. 061 Winter

061 Winter

"Damn Covenant. Why are they looking for something in this wasteland?" Kat motioned to the snow-covered area around them.

"Stop complaining. Just be glad your suit is temperature controlled." Carter was following directly behind her in the path she was making. The pair were trudging through knee-deep snow on their way to a Covenant camp. Carter tried to stay close enough that he wouldn't lose sight of her. If they had been in their normal armor, the blue would have stood out against the white snow. Instead they were in experimental suits from a project called ABOMINAL. The suits were pure white and specially designed for trudging through the snow.

"I would prefer to be able to see more than three feet ahead of me." Kat lowered her head, trying to move forward through the heavy snowfall and wind. It had turned from light flurries to full blizzard in only an hour.

"So you'd rather freeze to death. As your CO I can't really allow that." Carter reached out toward her but she was moving too fast. At this rate she'd leave him behind. "Kat, slow down. I don't want to lose you."

"If you're so worried, perhaps you'd be willing to keep me warm. Share some body heat."

Suddenly, Carter blinked and she was gone. The fuzzy outline of the Lieutenant Commander was gone.

Carter froze on the spot. He moved cautiously forward, hoping he'd just lost sight of her. He stopped when his foot found the edge of a cliff. She must have fallen. Carter's mind went to work. "Noble Two, can you hear me?" There was no reply. "Noble Two, report. Kat."

"I hear you, Commander." Kat's voice was quiet and followed by a pained groan. "I hate the snow."

"Stay where you are. I'm on my way. What's your condition?" Carter started to carefully make his way down the side of the cliff.

"My head hurts, and I'm cold. I think there's a breach in my armor. Stupid snow. Stupid Covenant." Kat let out another groan.

Carter slid down to the bottom of the cliff and looked around. "Kat, where are you?" He spotted motion to his side and the faint outline of a hand could be seen. He moved over and gripped the hand, which grabbed back. When she'd fallen she'd landed in a snow bank. He pulled on her hand and Kat began to emerge from where she had plunged into the snow. She grabbed his armor and pulled herself toward him. His arms wrapped around her and he looked around. He picked her up and hefted her over his shoulder, moving along the cliff wall. He finally found what he was looking for—somewhere out of the cold, in the form of a cave.

Carter carried Kat inside and set her down on the ground. He noticed that Kat was shaking slightly. He moved to her side and pulled her close to him. "Kat, I'll be right back. If you need anything, radio me." Carter didn't want to leave, but he made his way out of the cave, making sure to mark the location of the cave before he moved too far away.

Carter struggled through the snow and arrived back at the cave almost fifteen minutes later. He set up the wood that he'd brought back, wishing that he'd been able to find anything that was drier. It took a little while, but he finally managed to get the material to catch fire. He moved Kat closer to the flame. The wet wood quietly hissed as it was devoured by the heat. Kat was still shaking slightly, a troubling sign to Carter.

Carter started to check over her armor despite Kat's protestations that she was fine, just a bit cold. Carter cursed as he couldn't feel anything through the gloves of his suit. He removed them and set them near the fire, close enough that they'd be warmed up. His hands moved back to her armor and started to check it over for the place where it had been breached. The outer layer was soaked, but he could feel the insulation and heating layers below it. He finally found the tear in the armor on her back. He checked how bad it was, slipping his fingers in. He only stopped when he reached her chilled skin. Kat leaned back toward him, trying to get closer to the warmth of the touch.

Kat removed her helmet and set it aside. "So I have a hole in my armor. Just do that again, it was warm."

"Put your helmet back on, Kat. You need to stay warm." Carter moved over to their small packs which held all of their supplies and started to get to work. He retrieved their heated canteen and passed it over to her. "Drink slowly."

"You're overreacting. I'm perfectly fine, just cold." Kat frowned at him but took the canteen, taking a sip.

Carter returned to her and she stared at him. "Kat, your lips are turning blue." He knelt beside her and started to work on her armor. He removed the outer layer and Kat didn't fight him. As he checked on her, he realized it wasn't because she had accepted the situation, but because she was staring blankly at the wall across from her.

Once the outer layer was gone Carter wrapped one of the Mylar blankets from their packs around her. He removed the outer layer of his own armor and set it beside hers, by the fire where they would dry. He moved over to Kat's side and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her toward his heat. His suit was still heated, but without the outer layer, it would be able to transfer over to her. Carter pulled the blanket around them both. "Kat, talk to me."

Kat leaned in toward him and nuzzled her face into his neck. "About what?"

Carter flinched at the contact, but when she tried to pull away he held her in place. "It's all right. Your nose is just cold." He heard a slight chuckle from his second in command. "What would you do without me?"

"I believe in this situation, I'd freeze." Kat pulled herself closer to him. She let out a happy sigh as his warm breath spread over the back of her neck. Carter pulled her head back a bit and moved so that her forehead was leaning against his. Carter let his breath spread over her face, trying to warm her, and she gladly sucked in the warm air.

Kat's eyes slowly closed and Carter moved his hand up to Kat's cheek. "Kat, stay awake." Carter pulled her a bit away from him. "Come on, Kat. You have to get warm."

"I know how to get warm." Kat smirked and Carter frowned in confusion. She pulled him to her and brought their lips together. Carter was stunned at first but after a moment he returned the kiss. When the kiss broke Kat chuckled at him. "See, much warmer." Her face returned to his neck for warmth.

Carter took a deep breath. He knew that he should scold her for kissing him, but a part of him couldn't, and didn't want to do it. He told himself that she was out of it and that she had no idea what she was doing. He told himself that he hadn't enjoyed it. That he hadn't taken advantage of her confusion to indulge in their emotions without consequences.

Carter held her closer, wrapping the blanket around them both a bit tighter. He looked out of the cave at the falling snow. They would wait until Kat was warmer and the blizzard had stopped. After that they could make their way to the Covenant Camp. For now, he'd focus on his Lieutenant Commander and keeping her warm.


	56. 055 Greed

055 Greed

Carter couldn't help but be greedy. He knew that it was against their rules. They couldn't be together, couldn't have what he wanted so badly. He couldn't help that his hand would linger too long, or that he'd stand a bit closer to her than anyone else. He couldn't help that after she'd been in danger he would hover over her shoulder.

He knew he shouldn't, but when he could, he would watch her move. The only thing that seemed to stop him from indulging in these moments was her noticing it. She would move away if his hand lingered for even a second more then she wanted it to. He could feel how uncomfortable she became when he stood too close and he'd be forced to take a step back.

He knew that as the leader he should be able to control himself. After all, he had been the one that set down the rules. Even so, he found it so hard to follow those rules. He didn't consciously break them. He didn't even think about it when he was doing it.

Carter stood behind Kat, watching her work. There wasn't much else he could do at the moment. He had to wait until she finished making the connection for him to be able to talk to the Colonel. Even so, he didn't need to be staring at her. It wasn't going to make her work any faster. He also didn't need to be standing less than a foot away from her.

"Do you have to stand that close? You're not making this easy." The Lieutenant Commander's words were agitated but she didn't look back at him.

"Yes, I do." They both knew it was a lie. There was plenty of room in the rest of the room for him to stand. It was only the two of them there. The rest of Noble team had been set up in watch positions to ensure that the Covenant didn't try to sneak up on them. "Just get me that connection to command."

Kat seemed to ignore him. She knelt down and removed the access panel, grabbing wires and switching them around for her own purposes. Carter took a step forward and leaned down to look over her shoulder. The female Spartan stopped her actions and her head turned. Noble one could feel her glare even through both of their visors. Carter forced himself to take a step back and she returned to her activity.

She stood up after a moment and turned around, freezing as she realized how close he was. Carter saw her take a step back. "The connection is all set for you. Try not to mess with it." She grabbed her helmet off the ground and moved past Carter. She stopped as his hand reached out. His hand landed on her shoulder and she turned to him.

It had really just been an excuse to touch her again. After the close call she'd had earlier with a warthog he just wanted to set his worries at ease. He needed to feel and know she was all right. He didn't say anything right away but she was staring and he felt obligated. He patted her shoulder and the action felt odd in correlation with her. "Good job. Go keep watch over the door." It was the only thing that he could think to say.

"Yes, sir." Kat turned and walked out of the room. Carter watched her walk way, his eyes lingering for longer than they should. He couldn't help himself. He turned back to the terminal to report in to the Colonel.


	57. 006 Hours

006 Hours

Carter had been waiting for hours. The medical wing was quiet. He felt that it shouldn't be. There should be noise, something that might be able to distract him. They'd taken her into surgery two hours ago and it would be several hours before they would be finished.

Carter should have been with his team. They had just lost a teammate, and were at risk of losing a second. He couldn't go to them yet, though. They would need him to be strong, but at the moment he felt weak and helpless.

He'd seen the pained look on her face as they worked on her arm. There'd been nothing he could do to relive that pain. He'd been amazed that she'd had any clarity as they removed the limb. She'd had enough presence of mind to agree to the current operation. She'd even been asking questions about it before she agreed.

The next thing he knew, they were whisking her away. Even under anesthesia she'd looked like she was in pain. A technician had told him that it would be at least four hours until they finished. He knew it meant they wanted him to leave, but he couldn't. He wanted to be there when they finished. He wanted to be there for her.

The silence of the medical bay felt strange to Carter. They'd just come back from battle and he had expected hustle and bustle, but that wasn't the case. He sat in the stillness, losing track of time. His mind had wandered, wondering where he'd gone wrong. It had been her plan but as the leader he should have done something to prevent this. He should have been the one carrying the bomb. He should have made sure the team had stuck closer together. Maybe then they both could have been saved. Thom would be alive and she wouldn't have lost her arm.

A door opened and Carter was pulled out of his thoughts. He stood as they wheeled a gurney in. They moved her into a vacant room. Carter hesitated for a moment as medics moved about the room, setting everything up. When they had cleared out, he moved to the doorway.

The head doctor moved out to meet him. The only words Carter really heard were that the operation had been a success. After that his attention shifted to the woman inside of the room. The only other thing that registered after that was that he was being allowed a short visit.

Carter moved into the room, pausing in the entryway. He took in the scene, burning it into his mind. Kat lay on the clean white bed, spotless sheets pulled up to her waist. The machines around her beeped steadily with her heartbeat. The pained look had been replaced by one of pure exhaustion. Carter memorized every bit of it, determined to never see the sight ever again.

The Commander moved into the room to her bedside. He stared down at her face. There was a slight layer of sweat and a smudge of blood on her cheek. He reached over and carefully wiped the red trace away.

Carter's eyes traveled down to her right arm…well, what was now her right arm. The metal gleamed in the lights and he felt guilt set in. Because of his poor leadership, she'd lost her arm. She'd made the choice to take a prosthetic rather than waiting for one of the timely cloned arms to be attached. Still, he felt that the question shouldn't have had to been asked from the start. Carter reached out and his hand settled over her new mechanical hand. "I'm sorry, Kat. I'll never fail you like this again."


	58. 080 Why

080 Why?

Kat was trying to ignore it. She really was, but it was getting hard to ignore. It was making it very hard to focus on getting dressed. She stood in front of her locker trying to put it out of her mind but still it persisted. She finally snapped. "What?"

Carter's eyes traveled up to meet Kat's. "What do you mean 'what'?"

"Why are you staring at me? You've been doing it for over a half hour. In the gym, the shower, and now here. It's very distracting." Kat scowled at him but he just stayed silent. When she realized he wasn't going to answer, or defend himself, she spoke again. "What are you staring at anyway?"

Carter's eyes traveled from her face to a different part of her anatomy. "Your arm." He stared at the metal, frowning.

Kat glanced over at her mechanical arm. She shut her locker and turned around, her shoulders leaning against the metal door. She moved her robotic arm behind her back so that most of it was out of sight. "And why are you looking at my arm?"

Carter moved across the room and Kat stiffened a bit as his hand reached out. The Commander's fingers ran lightly over the shoulder joint of her prosthetic arm. "You know why." His eyes were glued to the metal.

Kat used her flesh hand to push him away. "Would you stop with that? Why are you so intent on acting like it was your fault?" Carter took a step back when he was pushed. His face was stunned. Kat was hardly ever that forceful with him. She didn't need to be. "For the last time, it wasn't your last fault. I'm the one that messed up."

Carter shook his head. "You didn't do anything wrong, Kat. I'm the leader of Noble. It's my job to be sure that my team is safe and completes a mission successfully. It was my fault that you got hurt, and that Thom died."

Kat groaned. "Why do you keep saying that?"

"Because it's true." Carter's eyes moved once more to Kat's right shoulder.

"It is not." Kat frowned as she noticed him staring again. "Must you stare at my arm?"

"Would you rather I stare at another part of your body?" Carter's tone was teasing, but he didn't sound like his heart was really in it. He took a step toward her and Kat tried to move further back from him. It wasn't that she was afraid, but rather the odd look in his eyes. The last time she'd seen that look, they'd made a terrible mistake. Carter's full attention was on her face and it seemed to only make Kat more nervous.

Carter leaned toward her slowly. Kat wasn't sure what to do. What she wanted to do was pull him closer but what she needed to do was push him away. He was only centimeters away from her and her mind screamed for her to do something. "Commander?"

Carter froze and Kat cursed herself. Why did she have to say anything? Carter took a step back. "I'm sorry, Kat." Carter took one last glance at her right arm. "For a lot of things." Before Kat could say anything or argue Carter turned and moved out of the locker room. Kat stood in silence staring at the door that Carter had left through.

Why did this have to be so hard?


	59. 099 Girl Talk

099 Girl talk

Kat sat in the locker room. She was tweaking her arm, tightening a screw that was a bit loose. "The upkeep is a bit annoying." Kat looked up and at Six as she walked in. "It's not as big of a problem when not in combat but out in the field it can be a bit of an annoyance."

Kat nodded. "I try to be sure I keep a kit with me in case something breaks." She flexed her robotic fingers and they moved exactly as they should. "You know, I didn't recognize you at first."

Six moved to her locker. "I recognized you. Then again, you were always hard to forget. I don't forget people who get so close to beating me."

Kat smiled to herself. "That was a fun exercise. You still got us in the end, though. We waited too long. You had enough time to realize the trick."

"Your team was never very good with listening. Though you don't seem to have that issue with this team. I'm still a bit surprised that the Commander approved this space plan of yours." Six opened her locker and removed a small box, taking a seat next to Kat. She opened the box and fetched out a screwdriver and wrench before setting to work on her elbow joint.

"Well, I have a way of convincing Carter of my plans." Kat looked down at her arm. "Though sometimes I wish he'd say no to me."

"I think I'd have to agree with Jorge on this." Kat looked at her teammate, confused. "I think you could convince Carter of anything, even that the Covenant was actually good and on the right side." Six paused for a second, as though wondering if her next statement would be crossing a line. "You and Carter are very close."

Kat stared at the locker in front of her. "We are close. We're the only remaining members of the original Noble Team. We've grown to be good friends over the years."

Six snorted. "Don't lie to me, Kat. I know it's more than that. I could see it in the way you act with each other, when you think we aren't watching carefully. I don't really care if it is deeper." Six looked down at the floor.

Kat didn't say anything. Her mind was racing. How had Six found out so easily that they were together?

Noble Six shrugged. "Oh, well, be that way. Emile already agrees with me and Jun doesn't seem to care. Jorge just doesn't think you'd be like that without telling everyone."

Still there was no reply from the Lieutenant Commander. It was odd to Kat that Jorge was the one that didn't already figure it out. Jun she expected to not really care, and she already knew that Emile knew. She was just surprised that the man who was more emotional and sentimental then all the rest of them was more blind to it than the teammate who was a killing machine.

"Either way, just be careful. Wouldn't want to see the team fall apart because you two got caught." Six finished and put her supplies away. She put the box back into the locker and moved to leave.

"Thank you." Six stopped and turned around at Kat's words. "Not for what you just said. I looked into the camp's records, as I often did back during training. When I was put into Noble Team I did some digging and found records." Kat turned to look at Six. "According to the reports, it was that mission, where we almost won, that got me placed on this team. If not for that exercise…I don't think I'd be a part of Noble Team. I never would have met Carter. So thank you, Shar."

Shar shrugged. "Glad I could help you find your place. Maybe you can help me find mine among this team."

Kat stood up and put away her own tools. "You don't need my help. You're finding your place just fine among us." Shar smiled back at her and the two left the locker room to head out to the landing fields. There would be a falcon waiting to take them to the Sabre test sight.


	60. 049 Lost

049 Lost

The warthog sped over the dusty ground, moving slowly down the road. "You are lost. None of these landmarks are anywhere on the map." Kat looked down at the paper map in her hand. She really hated to use such an old-fashioned way of figuring out where they were. She would have preferred to have her datapad and an updated map. This way was just so barbaric to her. It was bad enough that they didn't have their armor, meaning they had to deal with the heat, and didn't have built in radios to make contact with the base to tell them they were running late.

"I am not lost. I know exactly where we are." Carter frowned and kept his eyes on the road. "I'm just taking a more scenic route."

Kat groaned. "Seriously, what is it with men and not wanting to ask for directions, or admit when they don't know where they are?" She folded up the map and put it away, leaning over in her seat so she could stare out at the passing forest.

"I don't need to ask directions. I know where I'm going." Carter glanced over at Kat and saw her roll her eyes. "I do know where I'm going. How do you know I'm not just trying to find an excuse to spend more alone time with you?"

Kat smirked. "Sure you do." She turned toward him and leaned over in her seat toward him. Her left hand moved over and rested on his knee. "Because if that was what you were out here for, you'd have found a way to get us stuck in the mud or flatten our tire so that we'd be stranded."

Carter stiffened a bit as her hand found his leg. "Both good ideas. I wish I'd thought of them." His voice was slightly joking but there was an edge of nervousness. Kat's hand eased up his thigh. He shifted but her hand stayed with him. "What are you doing, Noble Two?"

Kat leaned a bit more toward Carter, letting her hand travel to his inner thigh. She smirked as he tried to get away from the touch but there was nowhere for him to run. "I'm not doing anything." Her hand squeezed his thigh. "Are you really sure that you know where you are going?"

Carter was staring intently at the road ahead of him. "Kat, stop it." She didn't move her hand. He brought the warthog to a stop and closed his eyes. "Seriously, Kat."

"Then admit that you don't know where you are, and look at the map." She leaned closer, putting pressure on her hand. "Either look at the map or use one of the excuses."

Carter looked toward her and flinched back a bit as he realized how close she was. He groaned. "We're already an hour late. Emile's probably about to kill someone and I don't want to deal with the paperwork." He held out his hand. Kat looked disappointed but handed over the map to him. Carter looked around and looked back at the map. "I don't see any landmarks."

"That's what I was trying to tell you. There are tons of landmarks around the base, and I don't see a thing." Kat sat back in her seat.

Carter scowled. "Maybe we'll find a farm or something. Somewhere where that there's someone that knows the way." He hit the accelerator and the warthog continued off down the road. They drove for about ten minutes before Kat spotted a farm house. The warthog pulled up outside of the house and a woman looked out of the window. She smiled and hurried outside, calling back into the house for her husband.

The Spartans got out of the vehicle and made their way toward the house. The man sauntered out of the house and frowned at the large soldiers. "We're a bit lost. Would you mind giving us directions?" Carter held up the map.

The man looked at him suspiciously. "Well, your map is outdated. You'd never be able to find your way anywhere with that." He paused for a moment. "I can still show you the way. Just need a pen." He motioned for Carter to follow him. The two men made their way inside of the house.

Kat leaned up against the side of the warthog to wait.

"You must be happy." The woman was grinning at the female Spartan.

Kat looked at her, confused. "Happy with what? With a man that I had to force to ask directions?"

The woman laughed. "Well, at first they do tend not to listen. But eventually every husband learns to listen to his wife."

Kat hid her surprise at the words. "What makes you think we are married?"

The woman looked a bit horrified that she'd insinuated that they were together when they weren't. "Aren't you?"

Kat saw her perfect chance. She could get back a bit at Carter for not just asking for directions like she had told him. "We are. I just didn't think it was that obvious."

"Well, sometimes a woman can just tell. People pass through here all the time and I've seen all kinds of couples. I've gotten pretty good at identifying them and which ones will make it." The woman glanced back at the house then smiled at Kat. "If you stick with it, you two will do just fine." The woman smiled a knowing smile. "It probably doesn't hurt that he's good in bed. And he's still young, so I'm sure he keeps you happy. Doesn't tire out before you get yours." Kat blushed at the words. She hadn't expected the woman to go down that path. "Though he looks like even in age he'll keep you happy."

Kat tried not to let her embarrassment show. "He does keep me happy." She looked back toward the house in time to see the two men coming out of the building.

Carter walked out of the house. "Thank you again." He hurried away from the house and over to Kat. The husband stood in the doorway and motioned for his wife to come back inside. He watched the woman leave and then turned to Kat. "Have a nice chat?"

Kat blushed again. "You could say I did."

Carter raised an eyebrow but let the matter go. "I got directions to the base, and apparently a nice secluded spot that the local authorities don't often check." Kat laughed and wrapped her arms around Carter's neck. "What are you doing?"

"I kind of told the woman we were married." Kat smirked and Carter frowned. "Just play along. What harm will it do?"

"Why did you tell her that, Kat? It's not true." Carter sighed. "Fine, I'll play along. Just want to get to base." He wrapped his arms about her waist and pulled her closer.

"I have my reasons for lying." Kat leaned forward and just as Carter leaned in to bring their lips together Kat slipped out of his arms. Carter was left stunned as Kat climbed into the warthog. "You going to come?"

Carter sighed and moved to the driver's seat. "Have I ever told you what a tease you can be?" He started the warthog.

"It's just a show. Don't be so serious." She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "Still a show." Kat turned back to the house and waved to the couple still standing in the doorway. The woman waved and the man shook his head, pitying Carter.

The Commander sighed and the warthog took off in the direction he had been instructed.


	61. 079 When

079 When?

"So when do you think that the war will end?" Kat snapped the armor piece back together. She'd repaired a few systems that the technicians had changed back to their original format on the last repair.

Carter turned from his spot at the work table. "When? Do you really think this war will end at any point we'll see?"

Kat frowned at him and walked across the room to sit in the seat beside him. "That's a rather dark though, Commander. Shouldn't you hope to see the end of the war?"

"I never said I didn't hope to see it. I just am not convinced that I will. Why do you care anyway?" Carter turned back to the data pad before him. He'd been reading over the most recent reports of Covenant activity.

Kat shrugged. "Guess because if it does end, if we do see the end of it, I can't figure out what we'll be doing." Carter turned his attention back to her. "I mean, without the Covenant, what will the Spartans do? There will only be so much need for taking down rebels."

"Well, there are several options at that point. They could put us in cryo, keep us if we are needed later." Carter's voice turned cold and steady. He always spoke this way when they debated. It annoyed Kat slightly. She liked the personal side of her Commander, though she understood. It was the same tone he took when he was making strategies, it was his commanding voice. It was him in logic mode.

"No, they don't know how long it will take and it is still unclear how damaging long term cryo sleep can be to a person." Kat shook her head. "Try again."

Carter smiled slightly. "When did this this turn into a guessing game? Do you know something I don't?"

Kat shook her head. "I don't know anything that they have planned. I don't think they have anything planned. I'm just looking for logic. Now, guess again."

Carter sighed and his brow furrowed as he thought. "Well, I guess they could station Spartans on all of the remaining planets. I don't like that option though. They'd likely split up Noble, and I'm not going to let that happen."

Kat smiled and stood up from her seat. She moved around behind Carter. He tried to turn to follow her but she smacked his head lightly and he sat still. "All right, then, if that is not an option, what is your next guess?" Carter felt her tug on his armor and she pulled it open to check it over. If it had been anyone else Carter wouldn't have allowed it. He wouldn't turn his back on anyone, even if it was to allow them to work on his armor. He trusted her.

Carter felt her tug on his armor several times. He thought about it. "I guess they only remaining option would be to give us civilian lives."

"That doesn't seem very likely." Kat huffed as she worked. "Why would they let assets like us be civilians?" She closed up his armor and leaned forward.

Carter leaned forward a bit as her weight settled against him. "How about they just give us residence. Like a technician that has a home on the base but isn't really active duty."

"That is plausible." Kat let her arms drape over Carter's shoulders as she leaned down closer. She lowered her voice as her mouth neared Carter's ear. "If they did that do you think they'd let two Spartans be together?"

Carter turned his head slightly so he could look as the Lieutenant Commander. Her eyes were closed and she had nuzzled up against his neck, breathing his scent in. "What makes you think they could stop them?"

Kat's eyes shot open, looking at Carter in surprise. He'd never spoken that openly about the topic, or even the possibility of it happening. "If they really wanted it, were willing to risk it, then nothing could stop them."

Carter smiled slightly. "Well, we'll have to live to see the end of this war. We won't find out if I won or not unless we do."


	62. 26 Breakfast

026 Breakfast

Carter clung to the warm, soft object in his arms. The object shifted and groaned. Carter's eyes shot open and he became suddenly alert. He looked at the person in his arms and felt his face grow red in embarrassment as he looked at Kat. He vaguely remembered the night before. They'd stayed up late running though reports and discussing how they thought the war was going. He remembered being exhausted, trying to tell Kat that they should go back to the barracks. He recalled trying to help her up, but she slid out of her chair and dragged him to the floor. She'd clung to him and he hadn't had the energy to pull her up. He'd lain down on the floor beside her. Kat had muttered something and curled up against him, falling asleep. Without the energy to carry her, he'd just fallen asleep beside her. At some point in the night he must have wrapped his arms around her like a stuffed animal.

Kat stretched and Carter released her. She sat up and looked around. She paused for a moment then looked at Carter. Carter sat up and winced. His back was stiff from the hard floor. Kat stretched her arms over her head and Carter let himself stare at her as she stretched. "We should get breakfast."

Cater stood and held out a hand to Kat. She took it and he pulled helped her up. They left the workroom and made their way to the mess hall where they grabbed food and found Noble Team. The Spartans always got their food earlier than the other soldiers, allowing them to eat in peace. The Spartans sat at a table on their own. Kat sat down beside Thom and Carter sat down beside her. Emile and Richard stared across the table at them.

"What are you staring at?" Kat glared at the men. She was sore from having slept on the metal floor and was obviously not happy. The two men just started to snicker. Emile leaned over to Richard and whispered something to him low enough that even a Spartan couldn't hear it. Kat continued to glare unhappily.

Richard leaned forward, a wide grin on his face. "So you two do something fun last night?"

Carter frowned at the question, not understanding what they were talking about. He glanced over at Kat and it became clear. Her hair was messed up, her shirt wrinkled from having been worn the day before, coupled with sweat stains from exercising. She looked like she hadn't gotten much sleep and they had both been missing from the barracks. It didn't take a genius to figure out what Richard was trying to get at.

Carter shot him a warning glare and Richard laughed. "Lighten up, Commander. We aren't asking for details."

"You are trying to get yourself sent to the brig for messing with them, aren't you?" Tara shook her head. "So what did keep you from the barracks last night?"

"We just fell asleep. It got late and we just drifted off, that is all." Kat picked at her food.

"Yeah, but not until after some fun, eh?" Richard flinched back at the killing glare that shot across the table from him. "Someone is grouchy. Oh, I know why. Commander's not taking proper care of you. You aren't getting yours."

"Richard," Carter's voice was ice cold as he spoke. "Just eat your breakfast." Richard picked up a piece of toast and bit into it. It was clearly evident that he wished he could just go invisible and escape the glares of One and Two.


	63. 009 Months

009 Months

Carter sat on his cot, hand running over the new angry red scar on his forearm. The last mission hadn't gone properly. If the team had been at full strength, maybe things would have gone better. They'd been ambushed by a Covenant patrol and things had gotten worse from there. Wraith tanks had showed up, along with sniper jackals. His armor had been damaged and he'd gotten a few burns on several places on his body. Most of the other members of the team had also sustained injuries. He felt the guilt of the pain of his soldiers. The team was a soldier short, and that was his fault.

"Commander?" Carter looked up to the source of the voice. Kat stood to the side of his cot, frowning down at him. He spotted the slash marks on her upper right arm. She'd been scratched by a skirmisher that had snuck up on the team. He wanted to reach out, hold her and tell her how sorry he was for his failure, but he knew better. He reminded himself that she'd rejected him, that she didn't feel the same way.

"What is it, Kat?" He looked away from her. It was hard to face his Lieutenant Commander. It was hard for him to realize that Richard, Kat, and himself were all that was left of the original Noble Team now. How had they already lost three soldiers?

"Sir, it's been a month, you need a replacement for Sara." Kat crossed her arms, frowning at the Alpha Company Spartan. "Carter."

"I know that we need a replacement. I just haven't found one that fits the team." It was the same excuse that Carter had told her for weeks. Even as it left his mouth the words felt overused and stale.

Kat sighed and Carter turned to her. She stared down at him, seeming to think over if she should argue about his lie. He really just didn't want to find a replacement, and none of the candidates seemed to be able to live up to Sara. "Do you know what today is?"

Carter shook his head. "No, what's today?"

Kat tossed down a datapad into Carter's lap. She leaned down and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Happy birthday, Commander." She stood back up and walked out of the room, leaving a stunned Carter behind.

When she left, Carter turned his attention down to the information on the screen in his lap. He picked it up and read over the information. It was the profile sheet of a soldier named Thom-293. He read it over and had to admit that the soldier would fit their empty slot in the team. Carter smiled to himself. She'd found the perfect replacement, and from the looks of the note at the bottom, had already put in to have him transferred to the team. He frowned, wondering how she had managed to falsify his biometric scans that were used to insure the orders were actually from him. He set that concern aside and allowed himself to just be glad that Noble Team would be back to full strength, and that he hadn't been forced to make the choice.


	64. 022 Touch

022 Touch

Kat struggled with the bandages that she was trying to remove. On their last mission she'd ended up in a fistfight with a brute. She'd killed it, but not before it managed to do a bit of damage to her shoulder. It had been bandaged up, but now she needed to replace the worn bandage with a fresh one. She was just having trouble removing the bandage. It was really one of the tedious tasks that she wished they'd come up with a better way of doing. Unfortunately the old way worked, and there was no reason to fix what wasn't broke, even more so while at war. It was nearly impossible to get her left arm to reach the bandage and her right arm hurt too much in order to reach it. She cursed as pain shot through her chest from her shoulder. This was annoying.

"Need a little help, Kat?" The Lieutenant Commander turned to see Carter walking into the room. Kat felt suddenly exposed. In order to deal with the bandages, she had to remove her shirt, and slide off the straps of her bra; it left her barely covered. She frowned at her unease. She'd never had much of an issue in the past with him seeing her bare; but now, she felt embarrassed. When had it changed? She knew when. It had changed at the point where she had started to feel these odd emotions toward him. She hated these emotions; they left her insecure and questioning herself at times.

Kat didn't want to admit that she needed help, particularly not from Carter. She could take care of herself and she should be able to do this on her own. It was why she hadn't gone to the infirmary to get one of them to help. She was supposed to be strong. What was the point of being a Spartan if you couldn't live up to the legend? She had to admit, now, that she couldn't do this alone. At least she knew that Carter wouldn't tell anyone. She simply reluctantly nodded.

Carter sat down on the cot beside her and motioned for her to turn. Kat did as she was instructed and turned her back to the Commander. She felt a sudden unease at turning her back to him. She cursed herself again. There was no reason she shouldn't be able to trust Carter at her back.

"It's like they tied this so you'd have to have help. Guess it's their way of trying to get you to go for a checkup." He chuckled slightly, trying to lighten the mood. He'd always been able to read her well, so he probably knew how annoyed she was with the entire situation. "Though you never were one for medics. Never understood that, after all they are here for our health."

His fingers went to work on the tape that held it in place. He pulled it free and Kat felt the bandage loosen. Carter went to work pulling the bandage away. Kat sat nervously as he removed them. She wished that he'd just hurry up and get it done, though a part of her was wondering if he was trying to take his time. She'd been avoiding him a bit lately. She disliked the unease that seemed to come with him being around while not in combat. In order to avoid the unease, she'd taken to avoiding the cause.

"Would you relax, Kat?"

"Bite me," Kat snapped. She didn't like being nervous around Carter, or the fact that she'd gotten herself injured at all. Both of these factors together had made her agitated. She didn't need him making it worse by taunting her. It ticked her off that his proximity was bringing up these emotions again. She wondered how he could tell how annoyed she was at the fact she was injured but was so blind to her disdain for the way he was making her feel. Was he unaware or did he know and was just ignoring it?

"If that's really what you want. Where would you like to be bitten?" Carter ran a hand over her shoulder as he removed the last of her bandages. "This place looks nice, and it would be hidden by your bandage." He leaned forward and opened his mouth. Kat felt his teeth graze over the skin. She flinched away in surprise and winced, hand moving to grip her shoulder. Carter's hand went to her side and held her in place. "Calm down, Kat. I was just kidding." Kat growled at him, making her anger known.

Carter moved her hand away from her shoulder and he applied a bit of pressure. She relaxed as the pain eased away over the next few seconds. When had he learned pressure points? She let Carter move her so that she was facing sideways to him. She bent her arm and flexed her bicep as he started to wrap it. He moved the bandage up and over her shoulder. She stiffened as his arm moved over her chest, under her left armpit. She felt his fingers brush over her bare skin as he moved his hand back up her chest to her shoulder. Each feel of his skin on hers brought up the memories and the emotions came rushing to the surface. He made a figure eight and continued his actions. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying to calm herself down. It didn't work. She was more focused on his touch as he bandaged her. She felt his fingers move over her skin and it seemed to catch fire in the wake of his touch. She heard him prepare the tape and felt as he wrapped it around her arm in the same pattern, before finishing it off with a bit of white tape to be sure it was secure.

"I think you're good to go." Kat couldn't help but notice that Carter's hand stayed on her arm longer than was necessary. She moved the limb around and flexed it. "Any pain?"

"Nothing that's not normal. No circulation cut off by the bandage." Kat opened her eyes and looked over at him. She was surprised by how close he was to her. The Commander was leaning a bit closer to her and was watching her carefully. Kat pushed down her unease and nodded slightly. "Thank you, for helping me, sir."

"Oh, don't think I did it out of the good of my heart." A smirk spread over Carter's features. Kat frowned to herself as the word cute came to mind. There was nothing cute about Carter, at least there shouldn't have been. "You've got to do something for me." Kat scowled at him and Carter shook his head. "I just need your help replacing my bandage." He pulled the waist of his pant down a bit to show her the slightly worn and dirty bandage around his hip.

Kat slipped the straps of her bra back on, feeling a bit more secure, though not quite so much as she looked down at his waist. "How in hell did you manage that?"

"I got nicked by a speeding ghost." Carter chuckled nervously, obviously embarrassed to admit his mistake. "Should have heard it coming."

Kat groaned and fought the urge to hit him for his stupidity. The action would likely only cause her more pain. "Why do they let you use armor lock if you aren't going to use it properly?" Carter smiled at her and stood up so she'd be able to apply the bandages.

Kat hesitated for a moment before she calmed herself down enough. She had to be professional. She'd push aside all these emotions and get her work done like she always did. She was confident she could do it, until carter pulled his pants down enough so she'd be able to replace the bandage. She might have more trouble with remaining professional then she thought.


	65. 100 Giggle

100 Giggle

Carter stared down at the woman underneath him, shocked. Her eyes were wide and he could see her cheeks turning pink. The female Spartan was pinned to the cot by Carter. "Did you just…?"

Kat shook her head quickly. "No, I did not." She looked horrified, trying to hide her embarrassment but failing.

"Yes, you did. I just heard you." A smile spread over Carter's face as he spoke. "You did."

"No, I did not." Kat was set on denying it, no matter what. "You are just hearing things."

Carter's smile softened. "Come on, Kat, it's not that bad. I mean, you are human, after all."

"No, I am not." Kat glared up at him, trying to squirm out from under him. His weight was too much and she failed.

Carter reached down, taking her right hand into his. He pulled it up and kissed the back of the metal appendage. "Yes, you are." He leaned down and nuzzled against her neck. "And since you are, then there is nothing to be embarrassed about."

Kat's left hand moved around to the back of his neck, trying to pull him closer as he nuzzled against her. "I'm not embarrassed. You just imagined it."

Carter sighed and pulled a bit away from her, much to her visible reluctance. "Fine, if you won't admit that you did, then I'll just have to make you do it again."

"What?" Kat's eyes grew wide again at his decision. "No, you don't."

"I'd like to see you try to stop me." Before Kat could take action against him, Carter's hands moved to her side and went to work. His fingers moved quickly as he started to tickle the female Spartan. Kat tried to hold back her laughter but it broke out. Her laugh was clear and echoed in the room. It was one of Carters top favorite sounds, and a rare one.

Kat tried to struggle out of his grip, but it was pointless. She was pinned and at his mercy. "Sir…haha…someone will…ha ha…hear us." Kat struggled to breathe between her words and laughter.

"There's a seven-inch-thick steel wall between us and the rest of the base. I don't think anyone is going to hear us." Carter chuckled. He took his chance and with a quick movement, and before she could react, Carter flipped her over onto her front. His hands went to work on her neck, causing her to laugh louder as he tickled the sensitive skin.

Still, he was not getting the desired results. He frowned in frustration before he suddenly stopped tickling her. "Finally gave up and are going to admit that you imagined it?" Kat panted as she tried to catch her breath.

Carter took a moment, just watching her pant under him. He smiled slightly and shook his head. "Not even close." He reached back and grabbed her leg, bending it so that he could grab her ankle. She started to struggle again as she realized his plan. His fingers went to work, tickling the sole of her foot.

Kat burst out into the loudest laughter yet. She continued to laugh for several seconds before Carter finally heard what he wanted. Kat let out a high pitched girly giggle. Carter stopped tickling her and smiled down at the Lieutenant Commander. "I knew it. I knew I heard you giggle." Carter grinned in triumph.

Kat had buried her face into the cot under her. She didn't say anything and Carter sighed. He didn't see why she was so embarrassed. He leaned forward, draping himself over her back and nuzzling into the crook of her shoulder. "Come on, Kat. It's not that bad. You are a woman after all." She still didn't reply. "I think it's adorable."

"Nothing is supposed to be adorable about me." Kat's words were muffled against the sheets under her.

"I think there's plenty of things adorable about you. That giggle is only one of them. I think it's adorable when you are working on something and you get so lost to the world around you." Carter let his hands move over her arms.

Kat moved her head so that her face was only half against the cot. "You're only saying that."

"No, I mean it." Carter sat up, and she stared up at him. He shifted and lifted himself up a bit, giving Kat room to flip herself over.

"You know that I have to get revenge on you now, don't you?" Kat smirked up at him and Carter's smile fell. He hadn't thought about that.

Carter had to think fast. He didn't want to be on the receiving end of her revenge. "Well, then I'll just have to distract you until you forget you want revenge." Before she could protest he leaned down getting to work on distracting her.

Author's note: This story is actually inspired by a IWBYD part of the Kat firefight voice in which she does this giggle that is just so girly, then right away apologies for it and says it will never happen again. it was so perfect it had to be one of my writer's choice.


	66. 040 Lies

040 Lies

Kat stood in the locker room, changing out of her training gear and into her casual clothing. She jumped as a pair of hands grabbed her rear. "Car—" She stopped as she spotted the not-very -familiar face of Emile. "Emile, what are you doing?"

Emile chuckled at her. "Sorry I ain't your night in shinning blue Mark IV armor." Emile moved over to lean against the locker beside Kat's. "So, what were you and the Commander doing that one time? You know the time, a few weeks ago, when you two were locked in your work space."

Kat froze at his words. She definitely remembered that day, very clearly. She did the first thing that came to mind. She lied. "I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Oh, come on, Kat. I know you know." The violent Spartan crossed his arms over his chest. "There's been a change. I can't put a finger on it, but I know there has been." Emile watched her carefully as she grabbed a shirt out of her locker.

"You're imagining things, Emile. The only thing that has changed is that Carter and I are determined to find a new Noble Six." Kat slipped on the shirt and smoothed out the wrinkles. She was trying her hardest to ignore the questions and keep herself calm. It was hard. How had Emile noticed anything at all? He wasn't at all good with people yet he was the one who seemed to have noticed something was going on.

Emile grinned and then moved closer to her, placing a hand on Kat's side and pulling her toward him. "Well then, maybe you and I should go find a nice quiet space and make a change."

Kat slapped his hand away, taking a step back from him. "Keep your hands off of me." Kat felt anger well up in her. How dare he touch her like that?

Emile scowled taking a step closer. "You and the Commander are, aren't you?"

"I don't know what you are talking about." Kat frowned in confusion. It was such a vague statement she really didn't understand what he was talking about.

"You know, you two are making a beast with two backs, knocking boots, getting the skins, hitting that, getting it on, boinking, shagging, poking, banging." Kat raised an eyebrow at him and Emile was stunned that she didn't understand. "You're having sex."

Kat took a calming breath, keeping herself under control. She shut her locker and ignored him. She turned to leave.

Emile stood in her way and became very serious. "Listen, Kat, I ain't going to tell on you two. As long as you keep it from the battle field I don't give a damn what you two do in that little workspace of yours."

"You are spending too much time with the ODST." She pushed past him, quickly making her way out of the locker room before he could stop her. He really was spending too much time with the marines. She'd had no idea there were so many names for intercourse. She hadn't even known the majority of the slang Emile had said. She'd at least gotten away without admitting anything, and not exactly denying anything.

She made her way through the base to Carter's personal office. They needed to talk.


	67. 063 Summer

063 Summer

Carter came to a stop at the finish line of the track. He moved to the side and grabbed a water bottle, taking a swig before he sat down on one of the benches that were set up a few feet from the edge of the track. Richard joined him a moment later. "It's nice being able to train normally like this." Carter simply nodded at the words. "You guys up for joining me for a swim?"

Brian moved from the track over to the two other men. "Why do you want to go swimming?" He raised an eyebrow at his friend. "I didn't think you were a fan of water."

"I'm not, but I'm a fan of seeing the female members of our team in swimsuits." Richard grinned, but stopped when he saw the glare from Carter. "Oh, come on sir, no harm in looking. Besides, doesn't a swim sound nice to cool off?"

Carter sighed and set down his water bottle. "A swim does sound refreshing." He relented and stood up. "All right, but remember to be respectful. I'm not going to scold either of them if you properly deserve what you get."

The trio made their way to the locker room, where they quickly changed into swim gear. They then headed to the outdoor pool where they found the two female members of their team sitting on the edge of the pool. "Damn, I love the summer. You don't see a sight like that at any other time." Richard grinned as he took in the sight of the two female Spartans.

Carter ignored it, knowing that if Richard got out of hand the women would bring him back into line. Carter dove into the water, enjoying the relaxing feel of the cooling water. He did a few laps before he moved over to where the two female Spartans were still sitting.

"Having a nice swim, Commander?" Carter looked up at Kat and then away a second later.

"Yeah, water's a good temperature, and it's summer. What more could I want?" Carter glanced over at Brian and Richard, who were fighting about who could do a better cannonball. "So why are you two wearing those swimsuits?"

Kat frowned and looked down at the bikini she was wearing. "According to one of the other female soldiers, it's because the soldier in charge of ordering them for the women got mad at a female soldier that showed him up, and he ordered these." She motioned to the swimsuit.

Carter didn't look at her. Richard came up behind the two women and looked down at them. "Well, remind me to find out who it was and thank them personally."

The two women glanced at each other, then back up to Richard. Each one grabbed one of Richard's arms and pulled him forward, causing him to fall into the pool. Richard reacted and grabbed the two women, pulling them into the pool.

Richard moved away from them and eyed the two women as they resurfaced. "Twice as lovely wet."

Kat turned on him and moved to charge toward him. Carter intervened, grabbing Kat around the waist and holding her back. "Let me go." Kat struggled against his grip, trying to wiggle her way out of his grasp and attack the other Spartan.

"No, I don't want blood in the pool." The logic made Kat stop moving. She relaxed a bit and for the first time since he'd grabbed her Carter realized how perfectly she fit into his arms. She fit against him so easily and he couldn't deny the way his body was reacting to having her so close. He released her, moving a bit away. He didn't understand why he'd felt that way, or reacted that way, but he wanted distance between them.

"Fine, but I call kicking his ass the next time we do sparring." Kat glared at Richard, apparently not having felt the same effect as Carter. He simply nodded and she moved over to Richard. Kat jabbed her finger into his chest. "You are going down."

"If that's what you want, then I will gladly do so." The grin on Richard's face gave away the not so innocent meaning of his words.

Kat closed her eyes and took a step back. "You are disgusting." She turned and walked across the pool, back over to Sara. "I'm going to shower." She moved to the edge and pulled herself up.

Carter couldn't help but watch her climb out of the pool and lean over to get her towel. He cursed himself as he couldn't pull his eyes away. Carter was almost relieved when she finally wrapped her towel around her body.

"Oh, even less covering. I'm in." Richard made as though to follow her but stopped when Kat turned around.

"Follow me and you get neutered." Kat glared at him, being sure he knew she was serious, and then turned around and walked away.

Carter moved over to the side of the pool, climbing out. "Where are you going, Boss?" Richard raised an eyebrow at the Commander.

"I'm done for the day. I'm going to wash up." Carter frowned at him, glancing to where Kat was walking toward the locker rooms.

"Oh sure, you can follow her into the showers but I just say something about following her and she threatens to kill me. So not fair." Richard's shoulders' slumped and he pouted.

"Maybe that's because I'm going to wash up, not ogle my teammate." Carter turned and followed after Kat.


	68. 086 Choices

086 Choices

He wasn't sure what road to take. There were two paths before him, and his heart told him what path to take, but his mind disagreed. The two fought inside of him, wrestling to come out victorious. His head should be winning, but the more the thought about the day before, the more his heart was gaining strength.

He'd been pondering what to do for the last two hours, and hadn't gotten anywhere. Every time he told himself that he should follow logic, follow the rules, his heart told him that it was wrong. He would remember the feeling of being truly one and wonder if logic even applied to this situation.

They always said that these kinds of things were matters of the heart, but he wasn't good with following his heart, only his head. There was no logic or reasoning behind what his heart was telling him, only emotion, what he was supposed to ignore. Even so, those emotions were making a good argument, one that was leading him to possibly discard logic. He cursed himself for having to be human, for having these emotions. Why did this have to be so complicated?

He had to admit that he liked the way things had been. While these emotions made him so confused at the moment, when he let them run free he found himself happy. Even in his worst case scenarios, before everything came crashing down, he could only see himself as happy. There was more to it, though, then just his happiness. Was he willing to risk his team? If he did, then would they understand or resent him for it? Was he willing to take the risk?

It all came down to the risk versus the reward. There was great risk and reward for him, but was he wrong not to take into account the risk to his team? The possible risk to humanity? Maybe he was overestimating how much they mattered. They were only one team after all, Spartan or not. Did they matter enough to the war that he'd be putting anything bigger than his team at risk?

None of that would matter if he were able to keep it secret. Would it be all that hard? How close were the higher ups really watching his team? He'd gotten away with indulging in the past on brief occasions. It was possible they were completely relying on him to keep things in line. Maybe they wouldn't ever find out and all this worrying was for nothing.

He sat up on his cot. Realization had hit him like a tank driven by a rookie. Why was he arguing this at all, unless he was just trying to justify the decision he'd already made. He'd known his decision from the moment that things had gone further than usual. He could still feel her skin under his hands, and taste it on his tongue. He'd crossed the line, made the choice, and there was no turning back now.

He stood up from his cot and took a deep breath. He still had a bit more that he had to do before he could confront her about his choice. At least he'd made his choice. He would have to be sure they were careful, but he loved Kat, and he wasn't going to ignore it any longer.


	69. 041 Passion

041 Passion

There were a few things that Carter was truly passionate about. The first was his team. He was willing to do whatever he had to do in order to keep his team alive, and get the mission finished. He looked at his soldiers as being completely his responsibility. It was why he took the death of teammates so hard. It was his job to take care of them and he was passionate about protecting them. Kat had always admired his conviction toward the team.

The second thing he was passionate about was strategy. He was often reading old files on past strategies, studying them and trying to learn new ways to get the upper hand on their enemies. Kat had played chess against him several times and the amount of focus that he used for each move was surprising. He didn't make a move without thinking ahead, and she had yet to be able to beat him. She'd eventually challenged him to a game of Risk. He soundly trounced her.

The third topic was the war. He'd often sit with Kat and they would argue over what new step that the UNSC should take in order to win or if they could even win at all. They'd gotten in very heated arguments over the subject. They always kept it civil and Carter always used logic backed by the idea of the unbreakable human will to survive. It was hard to argue against that, and against him. He argued with such passion at times that it made Kat feel like logic didn't even apply, that his sure will of believing in it made it fact.

The fourth subject was Kat, though he'd never admit it. The passion he had for her wasn't like anything else he was passionate about. The passion he had for her was as hidden as he could keep it, though it grew so strong at times that he couldn't contain it. When it broke through she got a glimpse of the man that he was under the tough Spartan exterior. They were the moments she cherished, that she kept deep in her heart to remind her that they were human.

Kat often found herself amazed at how much passion he really could have. She'd heard from plenty of the other members of Noble team talk about how stiff he was , or how serious he was. Kat had never seen it that way. Maybe they just never got to see the passion that there was. She saw it when she argued with him, when they were training and he went a bit tougher on her to ensure that she was ready for combat.

Kat hit the mat and didn't bother to get back up. Carter moved to stand over her, looking down at his Noble Two. "You need to be faster, and you need to think further ahead of your enemy. If you don't, then you are likely to be caught unaware and you'll end up dead." He knelt down beside her.

There was something in his eyes that she'd seen several times before. It was the look he got when he was arguing with her, when he was playing chess, the time she held so precious. Kat sat up and her hand moved to rest lightly against his cheek.

"Kat, what are you doing?" Carter eyed her hand. He didn't make a move to push it away.

Kat didn't reply right away. She stared at him and frowned as the look in his eyes turned to one of concern. "It's nothing, sir. I just wish that the rest of the team could see what I see. Then I wouldn't have to defend you."

Carter's brows furrowed in confusion. "You don't need to defend me, Kat." He stood up and she reluctantly let her hand drop from his cheek. "That's all for now, hit the showers." He turned and started to walk away.

Kat watched him walk away, smiling to herself. She'd just have to be satisfied with knowing that she was the only one that saw the true him. She got up off of the mat and decided to do as he had instructed and moved toward the showers.


	70. 089 Work

089 Work

Carter was trying to remain focused on the work he needed to finish, but he was finding it hard. The woman leaning against him was the main cause of this issue. Her elbows were resting on his shoulders and her chin on his head, looking down at his report. It was all rather annoying.

Carter had had enough. "Kat, would you please leave?"

He felt her head shake and then shift so that her cheek was resting against the top of his head. She rubbed her skin against his hair. "Your head is soft, like a hamster."

"I am not a hamster." Carter was now getting very annoyed. It was bad enough she was jabbing her elbows into his shoulders, but now she was nuzzling his head and he could feel her chest against the back of his head. He was never going to get any work done. "Is there any way that I can get you to leave? I know that ordering doesn't work."

Kat thought about that for a moment. "Nope, there's nothing you can do. You're stuck with me." She moved so that her arms draped over his shoulders and her chin rested in the crook of his neck.

"Kat, why are you doing this?" He knew what she was doing, she was tormenting him. He really regretted that kiss. Not because he hadn't enjoyed it, he had, but because it had made Kat aware of his attraction toward her. She'd had no problem with using that against him when he did something she didn't like. He could only now guess what he had done wrong.

"Because I'm bored." The hair on the back of Carter's neck stood up as she whispered into his ear. Yeah, she was doing this to get at him, and he knew he couldn't hide the affects from her.

Carter paused, trying to decide how he should react. If he tried to hide it she would see right through him, so he chose his other option. Since Kat didn't return his affection, if he couldn't make her feel the way he did, then he could make her feel awkward. He reached back and let his hand run over her head softly. He scratched the skin right behind her ear.

Carter was rewarded by the sound of purring, which made him grin. He had no idea she could make that noise, and he liked it. The problem was she obviously wasn't annoyed. He paused for a moment, before he decided that he was willing to go further. He shifted in his chair so he was turned a bit more toward her. Before she could react he pulled her toward him and leaned in, bringing their lips together.

Carter was surprised to feel her return the kiss and her hands trying to pull him closer. They broke apart and Kat frowned at him. "I thought we weren't supposed to never do that again."

Carter smirked at her and let his hand run down her neck. He'd gotten to her. "Nothing wrong with indulging a little."

Kat ran her hand over Carter's chest slowly. "Right, just a little indulging." Carter frowned in confusion. He didn't understand what she was talking about. She leaned down and he found her lips gently resting against his. Carter couldn't help himself, he leaned toward her trying to deepen the kiss. His tongue snaked out and Kat willingly opened her mouth to allow him access. Carter was pretty sure that he must have been dreaming as he pulled her closer and explored a little. It was so real and as her hand tugged at his shirt he found it hard to believe it wasn't.

The kiss broke and Carter let out a groan of annoyance, not ready for it to end. He suddenly became aware of the pain in the back of his neck. Kat's nails were digging into the flesh. "Just a little indulging." Kat moved back leaving a very confused Carter.

"Wait." Kat stopped and turned back to him. "What were you mad about?"

Kat grinned at him. "I told you, I was just bored." She turned and walked away.

Carter stared at where she had gone. She'd really meant it, and what had happened made him confused. There was passion in the kiss, which could only be there if she returned his feelings. Carter groaned and looked back to his report. His mind was racing. There was no way he was going to be able to do any work now.


	71. 014 Too Much

014 Too Much

Kat's head fell back against the locker as Carter's mouth dipped lower. She let out a quiet moan followed by his name. Her leg wrapped around his as her hands clung to his back and pulled him closer. She let out a groan when he stopped his actions. "Don't stop."

Carter set his forehead against her shoulder. "Kat, this isn't indulging. This is…it's too much. I mean, look at what we're doing."

Kat took a moment to realize what position they were in. She was pinned to the locker by Carter, his hands high up her shirt, and just a moment ago he had been lavishing attention on her neck and throat. She didn't want to admit it, but he was right, they'd taken it too far. She removed his leg from around his. He tried to pull away, but her hands kept him in place.

Carter set his cheek against her chest, slowly moving her hands down and out from under her shirt. "Kat, you have to let go."

Kat shook her head. "Can't we still indulge, just a little?" She clung to him tighter, afraid to let him go. She didn't want this to end, didn't want to lose the contact and warmth.

"Kat, it shouldn't have gone this far." He raised his head and she missed the warmth of his cheek. "We obviously can't keep ourselves under control." He shook his head. "We can't do this anymore." He removed his hands from her sides and moved away.

She let him go; knowing that he was right, despite that she didn't want to admit it. "Yes, Sir."

Carter hesitated before he moved closer and pulled her back to him kissing her deeply. She eagerly returned it, gripping his shoulder tightly. He broke away and for a moment she thought that he would kiss her again but he took a step back and she felt her heart fall.

Carter looked away from her, clenching his fists. Kat could see that he was angry, but not at her. If he was angry at her he would tell her, but he remained silent. He turned and moved out of the locker room. Kat watched him leave, hanging her head.

She sulked for a few minutes before Richard entered the locker room. "Oh, someone's an unhappy kitten." Kat frowned at him as he moved over toward her. "You want to tell me what's wrong?"

"No, it's not any of your business." Kat glared at him, trying to get Richard to leave her alone. She didn't feel like dealing with him or his unwanted advances at the moment.

"Oh, come on, I'm all ears, and other body parts you can use." He grinned at her and moved a bit closer. "Maybe you'd tell me over a nice shower while we wash each other."

Kat pushed him away from her. "Ah, go bother Tara." Kat started to walk out of the locker room.

"She doesn't have half as nice of a rear." Richard didn't hide that he was watching her hips sway.

Kat turned around and backed out of the locker room. "You're an ass," she muttered before she ducked out of the room.


	72. 056 Lust

056 Lust

Carter didn't have a word for the emotion that was plaguing him. He didn't even have a way to deal with it, or really understand the cause. The only thing he knew for sure was that it was directed at Kat, and he couldn't help it. It didn't show up during combat, only when they were on base, or during one of the many voyages aboard UNSC ships. It plagued him at night, filling his head with dreams of things that had never crossed his mind before. It was stronger when they were alone, or when he could really watch her. It urged him do to things, things he refused to do. She was his teammate after all, they had to work together.

It was present in Carter's mind as he watched Kat change into her workout gear. He was waiting on her so they could go on a morning run. He'd already changed and despite what his own mind told him to do, he was watching her. He watched as skin was shrouded in clothing as she got dressed and the feeling pushed him to move, to feel that skin before it was all hidden under the fabric.

Kat turned back to him and he didn't look away, trying to look as casual as he could without giving away the thoughts in his head. She moved out of the locker room and he fell into line behind her, trying not to follow too close. They made their way out to the paths that traveled out into the forest. They'd been using them for the past few days since they'd found a full map of the area. Carter liked the back paths, it was untouched by humans, and it gave him more alone time with just him and Kat.

Kat paused at the start of the path, looking over the map and moved off down one of the paths. Carter followed behind her as they slowly picked up a steady running pace. Carter was sure to keep behind her, though it wasn't that hard. Although he liked the scenery around them, his gaze was fully fixed on the woman. He watched each and every movement, the odd feeling once more rising up in him. He tried to push it down but it was persistent as he watched her run.

He kept it suppressed, but he took a moment to once more try to find a word for what it was. It was something primal, instinctual it seemed. From what he could tell, it wasn't a particularly bad feeling, just distracting, and inappropriate. He knew that when he had the dreams he enjoyed them, though they did make him feel awkward around Kat after he woke up.

Carter nearly walked into Kat as she had stopped and he'd been lost in his own thoughts. "Why did we stop?"

"You always said these runs would be more exciting if it were more than just running." Kat motioned up ahead of them where a waterfall tumbled down into a small river. "Thought we'd take a swim, make things more interesting."

Carter vaguely remembered the conversation. They'd been talking about how they'd finally fallen into an out-of-combat routine and were more comfortable around each other. They'd talked about doing something new, and it seemed Kat had taken that conversation to heart. "I suppose it can't hurt."

Carter regretted those words a moment later as Kat started to strip down to her underwear. She moved to the river's edge and looked back. "Aren't you going to join me?" She turned back to the water and dove in. She resurfaced and laughed as she ran a hand over her short cut hair. "Damn, that feels good." She slashed water toward the shore where Carter still stood. "Come on, the water's nice."

Despite everything Carter's mind told him, he too stripped down and dove into the river. The cold water helped to drive back the feeling, and gave him a bit of relief from the way his body reacted toward the feeling. He broke the surface and took a deep breath, enjoying the cooling sensation.

The Commander froze as a hand ran over his back, where a scar ran from his shoulder to his shoulder blade. "How'd you get this?" She moved around to his front and he fought to keep his gaze on her face.

Carter tried to remember how he had gotten the particular scar, but he was finding it hard to concentrate with the half-naked Lieutenant before him. "Training accident, don't really remember what happened." He closed his eyes and tried to focus. This gave Kat the perfect chance. She leapt forward and tackled the Commander into the water. The two broke out into what they both later considered to be very childish behavior consisting of attempts to dunk each other, splashing, and at one point Carter picking up Kat and threatening to drop her off the waterfall.

The two lay on the bank of the river a half an hour later, exhausted but happy. "I haven't done anything like that in ages." Kat stretched out in the sun to let herself dry off before she would get dressed. "We should do this more often."

Carter stared up at the clouds above, watching them shift and change as they moved. "I haven't felt this relaxed in a long time."

"I noticed." Carter looked at Kat, confused. "You've been really uptight lately; well, more than usual." Kat laughed as Carter frowned at her. "Don't take it the wrong way. You have a stressful job, so you have to be a bit uptight to be able to handle it. It's just, you seem even more stressed than in the past."

"I have been, but it's more of a personal issue." Carter was confident that he could keep her from finding out what was wrong. "I'm dealing with it; it's just hard to understand." He shook his head. "Anyway, it's my problem, not yours."

Kat groaned and sat up. "Fine, be that way. I thought I was your Noble Two, but I guess I still can't be trusted." She stood up and started to get dressed, ignoring that she was still slightly damp.

"Kat, you know that's not it." Carter stood up and grabbed his own clothing. "It's just, this isn't a Noble issue, it's a Carter issue."

Kat sighed as she finished getting dressed. "Fine, I'll let it go this one time." Carter quickly got dressed as well and the two walked back to the base, having decided that the swim had been good enough to make up for not running back.

When they reached the base Kat headed toward the showers, feeling that the river water wasn't all that clean to her. Carter watched her leave, taking note of how the still semi-wet clothing clung to her body.

"You two walked back today?" Carter turned to face Richard as he spoke. He hadn't even noticed the other soldier's arrival. "Must have given her a good workout there in the woods for you two to not have the energy to run back." Richard chuckled and Carter frowned.

"We went for a swim." Carter really didn't understand what the other soldier was talking about.

"Sure that's what you did." Richard grinned but stopped as he realized Carter didn't understand. "Come on, I'm not blind. You can feel the lust in the air between you two. You and she went into the woods, relieved some tension." He raised his eyebrows, as if it would help Carter understand.

"I don't know what you mean. We went swimming in a river." Carter shook his head and moved away, leaving Richard behind. He thought about what the other man had said as he walked back toward the barracks to change into drier clothing. He fixated on a single part of what Richard had said. It was the word 'lust' that he didn't understand. He knew it was supposed to be a sin, but he'd never really understood what it was about.

When he reached the barracks he grabbed some fresh clothing and his datapad. He kept it hidden away as to keep Kat from hacking it; though it was password protected, he was sure she could break it. He did a quick search of the seven deadly sins. At least that would cover his tracks a little if someone did hack the system. He didn't bother with the other sins, scrolling down to lust. He read over the description and he had to admit, it was almost exactly like what he felt around Kat.

Carter changed as he contemplated the new realization. So now he had a word for the feeling, but why was he feeling it, and why was it directed at Kat? He sighed and sat down on his cot. One problem down, but a whole other one to deal with.


	73. 028 Dinner

028 Dinner

Kat had hidden herself away in her workspace, intent on finishing something she was working on. She'd spent the entire day in the small dimly lit room, just her and a few components of her armor. She hadn't said a word to any other member of Noble Team all day. This fact was what had Carter worried. Kat usually at least told him what she was working on, or if she wasn't going to be around for meals. When she hadn't showed up for lunch he had let it go but when she hadn't showed up for dinner he was worried.

Carter decided that he would take action. After he'd finished his food he grabbed an extra tray of food and made his way to her workspace. He didn't bother knocking, just opened the door and walked right in. Kat didn't seem at all pleased by this. He didn't understand why, until he spotted the armor on the work bench. "What are you doing with my armor?"

Kat didn't answer him; instead shot back her own question. "What are you doing in my workroom? Not even knocking." She glared at him and Carter became annoyed. She had his armor and had the guts to act like he shouldn't know that she's messing with it. "Why are you here anyway?"

The question brought Carter back to why he had come to the room. "You didn't come to dinner." He set the tray down on the table and tried to get a better look at what she was working on.

Kat held his helmet tight against her chest, trying to keep it from his sight. "I didn't realize what time it was." She glanced at the tray and Carter could hear her stomach growl. She glanced over at Carter and then at the food, as though trying to decide if she should risk it.

"You need to eat Kat. I'm not going to steal your project just because it's my armor." He moved over to stand behind her, trying to see around to see if he could tell what she was working on. "What are you working on anyway?"

"Not like you would understand." Kat snapped at him reaching over for the food, giving Carter a good view of his helmet.

"What did you do to my helmet?" Carter reached down and pulled the helmet out of her hands. He was surprised to find something tugging back. The helmet was hooked up to several things and Kat quickly lifted up a few of the object to keep the wires from being snapped.

Carter lowered the helmet so she could set the items down. "You need to be more careful or you'll damage something." Kat looked over the helmet, making sure that nothing was broken. "You didn't too much damage. I can't easily repair it." She turned to the side and let out a groan. "I was looking forward to that."

Carter turned in the same direction as her and spotted the food on the floor. Kat had dropped the tray of food when she'd gone to grab the items. "I'm sorry, Kat."

The Lieutenant Commander slumped in her chair. "Doesn't matter." She turned back to the helmet and just stared at it.

Carter put his hands on Kat's shoulders. She seemed down and he felt bad. "Can you tell me what you are working on?"

Kat leaned back, letting her head fall back against Carter's chest. "It's a gift." Carter raised an eyebrow and Kat let out a long sigh. "You never do remember. I mean, each year and every time you forget." Carter frowned and Kat frowned back. "Your birthday."

"Oh." Carter paused for a moment. "That's a week away. Why are you giving a gift a week early?"

"Because in a week's time we might be in combat, and I want you to be able to use it." Kat turned her gaze back to the helmet. "I just can't get it to work properly." She let out another groan. "And now the surprise has been ruined."

"No it hasn't." Carter smiled at her as she looked up at him, confused. "I have no idea what you are doing. I don't know what you could possibly be fiddling with in my armor. You do know how to put it back together?" Kat frowned at him and Carter moved back, knowing that he had sort of insulted her. "I just have to ask. I mean, I am going to be sticking my head in that thing and I don't want to get shocked."

"Of course I can put it back together. I just can't get the upgrade to work." Kat turned back to the helmet, grabbing one of the devices attached to the wires and looking it over.

"I'm sure you'll be able to do it, you are a wizard with tech." Carter moved over to the fallen tray and picked up the food as best he could. He really did feel bad about making her drop it. He'd come to be sure she ate, but here he'd ruined his own plan. "I'm going to get you a new tray of food."

Kat put a hand on Carter's arm to stop him. "You don't have to do that. It's already late and I'm sure they aren't serving food anymore."

"Kat, you have to eat." Carter smirked. "If they aren't serving food then I'll make them make me a new tray. You think they are going to say no to a Commander?" Kat smiled at him and let him go. The Alpha Spartan left the room, heading toward the mess hall to see what food he could get for his Noble Two.


	74. 015 Not Enough

015 Not Enough

"That doesn't mean I'm going to listen to you." Kat leaned back in her seat swatting Carter's hands away from the keypad. "Back off."

"You aren't supposed to be in that information, Catherine. I'm ordering you to stop hacking the system." The Alpha Spartan was visually annoyed with the Beta Spartans refusal to listen to his orders.

"Stop calling me Catherine. I told you I prefer to be called Kat." She smacked his hands away again and he was obviously getting agitated. "Why should I listen to your orders?"

"Because I'm your ranking officer. You have to listen to my orders." Carter finally grabbed her hand and reached past her turning off the terminal. "Stay out of the senior level files."

"Rank is not enough." Kat glared at him and pulled her hand free of his. "You haven't given me one good reason as to why I should listen to you." This argument wasn't new. Kat had been fighting being under his command since they'd first started working as a team. She'd hidden her defiance a bit in front of the team but it was more that they had stopped pointing it out when she went against him. "Why should I listen to a damn order you give?"

Carter didn't know what to say. He didn't know what she wanted from him, what she was expecting as an answer. She was just staring at him, waiting for an answer, for any reason. Carter finally decided on what he was going to say. "Because I led my team back during my training years, we never failed a single mission. When we went into full combat our mission was completed with minimal injury to my team. In my free time I study strategy and review previous engagements. I don't know what you want from me, Catherine."

Kat stood up and moved closer to Carter. He wanted to back away but he kept himself steady. She actually looked intimidating and as though any second she might punch him in the face, though he couldn't think of a reason why. "I want you to call me Kat."

Carter waited, seeing if she had some other demand, something else, but that was all she said. He furrowed his brow in confusion. "Is that it? All you want is to be called Kat?"

"Well, that's where you can start. There isn't some magical thing you can say or do that will make me respect you. You have to earn it." Kat sat back down in her chair and turned her terminal back on.

Carter eyed the screen as she started to type. He moved around behind her and frowned as he realized she was once more hacking into the system. He sighed and decided he needed to take a different approach. While the others seemed to respond to orders Kat didn't so he'd have to try his only other option. He leaned down a bit to watch as data scrolled over the screen. He'd honestly never seen anyone ever hack a system with such ease.

Kat stopped and looked back at him. "Can I help you?"

He hesitated for just a moment before he made a choice. "Don't leave any trace of the hack, Kat." He stood up and moved out of the room, leaving Kat to her fun. As long as he didn't get in trouble for it then maybe giving her some freedom would help to open the doors between the two of them. Maybe one day she'd listen to what he told her.


	75. 029 Vacation

029 Vacation

Kat sat hunched over her workspace. Only the light of her worktable lamp allowed her to see. She was focused completely on the radio transmitter that she was modifying. If all went right she'd be able to attach it to her helmet and it would allow her to have contact with the team from a further distance. If it worked on hers she could make the adaptation to all the other members of Noble Team.

Light flooded the room as her door opened and she snapped around to whoever had opened it. "Close the door. You're letting in too much light." She hunched over more as she tried to stay in darkness.

Carter moved through the doorway but didn't shut the door behind him. "No, you're in too much dark." He moved into the room and she glared up at him. "It's a nice day outside and you have yourself locked up in a room with tech and only a little bit of artificial light."

"I like my tech." Kat turned back to her project. She didn't care about sunlight or the outdoors, she had work to do and she was going to see it finished.

"I know you do, Kat, but it's time to put it away." Carter grabbed the radio from her hand and set it down. "You need to go outside. You're starting to look pale." He set the radio to the side and before Kat could protest picked her up and threw her over his shoulder.

Kat pounded her fists on his back and tried to get out of his grip. "Let me go. I need to finish with my work."

Carter held her tight so she couldn't get free as he made his way out of the base and into the open. She struggled even more as they got out into the open, embarrassed to be being carried around against her will. Carter didn't stop until he reached a field and set her down. "Stay." He pointed to the spot.

Kat scowled at him. "I'm not a dog."

"Nope, you're a sweet little fierce kitten." Kat turned to Richard as he spoke and her frown deepened. "You weren't kidding when you said you'd use force, Commander."

"I didn't think you would join us." Tara smiled as she moved up on Kat's side. "So now we have two teams."

"I didn't join by choice, and teams for what?" Kat turned to Carter and waited for an answer.

"Full teams for a game of touch football." Carter smiled and moved over to where Richard and Jake stood. "We're playing the girls against the guys."

"I don't know how to play football," Kat pointed out.

"That's all right, I don't know either." Jake shrugged. "Richard's actually the only one who knows how to and he just told us that you throw a ball, one person tries to run it to one side of the field while everyone else tries to tackle the opposing team."

"Sounds like a stupid game." Kat raised an eyebrow. "Why exactly are we playing it?"

"Because we wanted to play a game and we only have a football. So football we are playing." Tara moved over to the field and Sara joined her. Kat sighed and reluctantly joined the other two women on the field.

The next hour proceeded to be a complete mess. The Spartans had no idea how to play the game so it mostly was just one Spartan running with the ball and everyone else just tackling them, which they turned out to be good at.

Kat leaned back against Carter. She raised her arms and wiped away the sweat from her forehead. "Well, that was a pointless game. Though I believe we won."

"No way, we had a higher score then you did…I think." Richard sat up from where he was lying on the grass.

"They won Richard, let it go." Carter leaned back against Kat, smiling slightly as Richard frowned at him. "At least we all got a bit more exercise." He shifted to look back at Kat. "See, taking a vacation away from your tech didn't kill you."

"I wouldn't have called this a vacation. Aren't vacations supposed to be relaxing, and not include bodily harm?" Kat grabbed the shoulder strap of Carter's shirt and used it to wipe the sweat from her forehead.

"You just spent an hour getting pinned to the ground by three muscular good looking men who, just so you know, get checked out by the women of the base pretty often. I think all those women would consider that a vacation." Richard grinned as he once more flopped back down on the grass.

"Well, maybe two good looking men." Kat grinned stretching her arm over her head to try to ease the stiffness that was staring to sink into her muscles.

"Aw, that's just mean to say about the Commander. I'm sure she doesn't mean it, Boss." Richard grinned over at Carter.

Kat turned, putting her arms over Carter's shoulder and her right hand moved up her hand grabbing his chin. "Like I could be talking about the Commander. That is rugged good looks." She shook her hand and Carter's head with it. He frowned at her, not liking being manipulated like that.

"Can't be talking about Jake either. Look at those cheekbones." Tara motioned toward the male soldier who beamed happily.

"No one asked you." Richard frowned at Tara as he stood up. "Well, I think I need a shower."

"I'm in for that." Jake stood up, and brushed off some grass. The two men turned and moved toward the washrooms.

"I'm going to take advantage of already being dirty and work on that hog for us. Mind helping me, Sara?" Tara stood and Sara joined her before they started to walk toward the garage.

Kat watched them leave, still draped over Carter's shoulders. "I should get back to my work. I was almost finished."

Carter reached up, his hands gripping Kat's upper arms. Rather than pull them away as Kat had expected he held them in place as he stood up. Kat let out a sound of surprise and wrapped her arms around his neck to keep herself on. Carter then released her arms and moved his hands down to put his hands under Kat's thighs. She clung to him as he started to give her a piggy-back ride back toward the base.

"What are you doing?" Kat held onto him a bit tighter, having never been carried like this, at least not when conscious.

"I carried you out of your space, seems reasonable to carry you back." Carter glanced back at her and Kat rested her chin on his shoulder. They were silent for a while until finally Carter spoke again. "So you think I'm good looking."

Kat flicked the side of his face. "Shut up and just take me back."


	76. 058 Lips

058 Lips

Carter was trying to listen, he really was, but he just didn't understand. Kat had been talking for the past minute and a half, but Carter had stopped understanding her a minute ago. Her lips were moving but he didn't really understand the words she was saying. Something about base codes and main power lines. She was supposed to be teaching him how to easily break into any UNSC basic controls of doors, gates, and such. Carter had never really been good at that and listening to her he understood why. He wasn't good with all this technical information.

Carter had given up on understanding the words and instead was focused on the source. He wondered how her lips felt. How it would feel to press his own against hers. How it would feel to have those lips explore—.

Carter cursed as the feeling he'd identified as lust started to rise up. He had sworn to himself that he would stop thinking of Kat that way. She was his second in command and deserved the respect that came with it. The problem was that his instincts were harder to fight than he had expected. He was still determined not to let chemical reactions get the better of his will.

Carter pulled himself out of his thoughts and realized that Kat was waving her hand in front of his face. "Is anyone home?"

Carter frowned and pushed her hand out of the way. "What are you doing?"

"You were staring at me blankly after I finished talking and I was worried you'd had a stroke or something." Kat tilted her head to the side. "So then, were you listening?"

Carter sighed and shook his head. "Honestly, no. I don't understand any of this in the slightest, and you know it." Carter crossed his arms. He didn't see why she was so set on teaching him this.

"Carter, you need to learn this. What if I'm not around? How would you get through a door?" Kat moved to stand beside him, leaning slightly against him. There was a look on her face that Carter couldn't identify.

"Kat, you're always going to be there, or at least close by."

Kat shook her head. "I don't mean not there as in standing there, I mean as in not there at all. Gone."

Carter frowned as he realized what she meant. He knew that he had been shaken by Tyler's death since it was the first under his command of Noble. He hadn't known it had shaken Kat as much. "Kat, you aren't going anywhere. You're going to be there. You're always going to be there. So I don't need to know this stuff."

Kat sighed and crossed her arms. "Fine, you don't have to learn it. But do you want to tell me what you were thinking about that you were so focused on?" She tilted her head toward him.

Carter hesitated. Should he tell her the thoughts he'd been having? Maybe she would turn him down and he could put all these feelings behind him. How would she react if she knew he'd been having those sorts of thoughts about her? What if she didn't turn him down? Would he be able to have the strength of will not to do anything? Just the thought of her not turning him down was proof that he couldn't handle it. He decided that it was too much of a risk. He'd have to play it safe. "Just my personal matters."

Kat frowned at him. "You still aren't going to tell me about those, are you?" She still seemed offended that he was not letting her in on the information. She hated not knowing something and he liked that he knew something she didn't.

"Sorry, like I said, it's not an issue you need to deal with. Stay focused on keeping yourself alive. I'm awful with this tech stuff, so you've got to keep breathing." Carter leaned more against her and Kat smiled at him slightly.

"All right, but just because you would be locked in a closet without me." Kat chuckled and moved away from him. "I'm going to see if anyone else in the team is willing to try to learn. I'm sure that Richard would give me his time."

Carter frowned at that. He watched her walk away and scowled as he wondered why her comment annoyed him so much. Why did he care if she spent time with Richard? Though the amount of attention that Richard showed to Kat had annoyed him for a while. It was really just another question he didn't have an answer for. Seemed a lot of these unanswered questions revolved around Kat.


	77. 076 Who

076 Who?

Kat sat, watching Carter as he gave out orders to some marines. She didn't know very much about the man, and she definitely didn't trust him. He almost reminded her of Ted, which she hated. That was not a good start for them. He gave out orders and he seemed closed off to the voices of his fellow soldiers. She hated people like that, and she was sure he was going to be just like Ted, like her old team. They would ignore her ideas, good ideas. She'd just be there to follow his orders, to be the little obedient dog. That wasn't who she was, though. She wouldn't just lay down and listen to orders. Kat would question them. That she was sure of.

There was a possibility for her. It was obvious that Carter was still trying to find exactly how he would handle the larger team. She could still mold him, change him. She might be able to convince him that with a larger team he had to be more open. She was already set as his second in command, and her history spoke for itself. He would keep her in that position, and she would gladly take advantage of that position.

Kat would have to choose carefully how she did this. If she got close to him, he might be easier to change, but if he was going to be like Ted, trying to get close to him would look like she was kissing up to him. She frowned to herself. The only other option was to continue to openly question him as she had been. That might be able to force him to change to better his own appearance in the team—or it would just get her in trouble with him. He'd shown to be unhappy with her questioning in their first mission.

Kat had been so lost in her own thoughts that she hadn't noticed Carter walk over to her. "Catherine." He waved his hand in front of her face and she scowled at him.

"Kat." Carter raised an eyebrow. "I prefer to be called Kat." She frowned at him for a moment. "What do you want?"

Carter seemed to ignore her annoyance. "There's a group of marines heading up the ridge. I need you to meet them there. You'll have to lead them after we've made a distraction out front."

Kat looked at him surprised. "You're giving me troops to control?" She hadn't expected that. She'd be completely in control of the second wave of their attack. Kat had never expected him to give her that level of authority. Her old team had always been only led by Ted; even if there were other soldiers around, he was always the leader, the only one with any power.

Carter shrugged. "Best way to get a read of your skills. Put you in charge and let you lose." He frowned as he noticed her surprise. "Never been in command?"

Kat stood up and pushed past him. "Of course I have." That was a lie but she was sure he didn't know her well enough to catch it. "We'll be ready. Those wraiths won't know what hit them." Kat moved off to meet her troops. Maybe Carter could be changed, or maybe he just wasn't as much like Ted as she had feared. She just had to be sure she didn't mess up, give him reason to not give her command or power in the team. She'd make sure her part of the mission went flawlessly.


	78. 030 Date

030 Date

Kat made her way through the base toward Carter's private office. He'd sent her a message earlier to meet him there before she went to her evening meal. Since she'd finished her work for the day she made her way to his office and rather than bothering to knock, she keyed the code that she'd already memorized. The door slid back and she was surprised by what she found.

Carter had set up a makeshift table in the center of his office. She stared at it and raised an eyebrow. "I think you need to explain some things." She closed the door behind her and walked closer to the table. It was set up with plates and silverware.

"We skipped it." Kat stared at Carter, waiting for him to expand on his answer. "We skipped the first step of a relationship. The date."

"Seriously? You want a date? I think we are past that, Carter." She moved over to him and smiled as he took a step toward her. "We started our relationship with what most guys start a relationship for."

"Well, it's not what I started this relationship for." Carter reached out and pulled her toward him. "Besides, if you want to reason it, we started all of this back in 2547. But I want to at least hit all the bases. So then, Kat, would you have dinner with me?"

Kat leaned into him. "Of course I will. But how will be explain it to the team?"

"Last minute preparations for the new Six." Carter moved away from her and to one of the chairs he had set up. Kat took a seat and Carter moved over to the other side.

Kat looked down at the meal before her. Chicken and fries, simple and good. She supposed it was what they were serving in the mess hall. "So how did things go today? You had a meeting with the Colonel today."

"You hacked my private mail again." Kat grinned and Carter let it go. He didn't really have anything to hide from her, and it saved him having to inform her of a lot of things. "It went all right. He was asking when we would be able to take part in combat again, wanted to actually meet me. Seems we are going to be under his command."

"I've checked his records, we could be under worse." Kat shrugged. "Though as long as you trust him, I will…sort of."

"He seems to be worthy of trust. He was respectful, and he seemed to be straight forward with me." Carter smiled slightly. "Try not to annoy our new boss. I don't really want him to be unhappy with us this early under his command."

"Fine, I'll make sure I don't leave tracks." Kat popped a fry into her mouth. When she'd swallowed she asked the question that was bugging her. "So what made you think of this?"

Carter shrugged. "Guess it was hearing some of the other soldiers talk. They all talk about, well, about going on dates and all that normal stuff. Guess it just made me realize that we skipped the first step. That awkward moment where you have to stand up to a woman you like and ask her out."

"What makes you think that you would have the guts to actually ask me? For all I know, the only reason why you could ask me to do this was because we've already crossed all the other hurdles." Kat leaned a bit forward. "I probably would have been the one to ask you out."

Carter didn't address her statement. "I know I would have had the guts. Remember who started all of this all those years ago."

"You did that in a moment of…I don't even know what to call it. That wouldn't at all be the same as asking me out." Kat pushed around a few of her fries, trying to decide if she wanted more of them. "So do we still consider that a mistake?"

"Greatest mistake of my life." Carter smirked. "Why do you think I keep making it over and over?"

Kat returned the smirk. "Either because you have no self-control, or you are completely under my control and I have no self-control."

Carter shrugged. "Seems to me that both of them are true." He finished off the last of his chicken and paused for a moment. "Well, this is less awkward then I had expected."

"Once more, only because we've already done everything else." Kat shook her head. "Hard to be awkward around someone you've already knocked boots with."

"We haven't done everything. We haven't gotten married, had a kid, or even gotten caught." Carter pointed out.

"If we did the first two I would think that we would be forced to the last one." Kat smiled a bit. "I have to admit that I enjoyed this."

"I'm glad that we did it." Carter stood up deciding to leave the things to be cleaned up later. He moved around the table to Kat's side. She stood up and he pulled her toward him. "So what do you say about some desert?"

Kat placed a hand on his chest and pushed him a bit away. "Sorry, Candy Lips, I don't give it up on the first date." Carter looked a bit unhappy at her decision and she chuckled. "I will give you a traditional goodnight kiss, though." She pulled him down toward her. The kiss was long and passionate before Kat broke away and moved past him. She stopped in the doorway. "We really must do this again. Maybe next time you'll get lucky." She smiled mischievously.

Carter smirked and nodded. "I'll see you in the barracks, Kitten." Kat moved out of the doorway and toward the barracks, leaving Carter to clean up.


	79. 075 Shade

075 Shade

Kat lay out in the sun, the grass sticking to her sweaty skin. She was trying to cool down after her workout, but it was hard with how hot it was on this base. She wished for her armor, its temperature control to cool her down.

"Hey, why are you laying out there?" Kat opened her eyes and sat up, looking around until she spotted Richard, Carter, and Brian sitting under a tree in the shade. Brian was trying to motion for her to come over. "It's much cooler over here."

Kat lay back down and stared up at the clouds above. "No reason to be so mean to us. It's not like we're diseased." Richard's voice sounded of mock pain. He obviously really didn't care.

"Oh, ignore her. She's not a team player." Kat sat up again and glared back at Brian. He leaned back against the tree and looked calm. "I'd be afraid, but there is no way you are coming over here."

Kat thought about it for a moment and decided to say where she was. She didn't want to use the energy to go over to them.

"Why won't she join us?" Richard asked. "You're the only one here of Beta that might know."

"Well, I would answer that, but I think that might be out of my bounds." Kat was actually glad to hear the words from Brian. At least someone knew how to keep things to themselves. "Though I will tell you that she has some trust issues." Kat scowled at what she heard but she remained where she was laying. "Where are you going?"

A few seconds later a shadow fell over Kat. She opened her eyes to find Carter standing over her. "Come join us. The shade is much cooler." Kat shook her head. "What if I made it an order?" She shook her head again. Carter shrugged. "Plan C it is." He motioned to her. "Sit up." Kat hesitated for a moment but did it. Before she could figure out what was going on Carter's arms wrapped around her waist and lifted her up.

Kat struggled in his arms. "Let me go this instant." She tried to push herself out of his arms but he was holding her tight.

Carter carried her over to the tree and leaned back against it. "Brian, can you grab her legs?" The beta Spartan did as he was asked and grabbed Kat's legs. Carter slid down the tree until he was sitting with Kat between his legs. Brian finally let go of Kat's legs though she continued to struggle. "Would you calm down?"

Kat finally stopped struggling, finding that she didn't really have enough energy to continue to fight him. She didn't exactly relax though. She was tense and if she could have she would have moved away from him. She didn't like him being that close, all the worse as both Brian and Richard were there. She didn't want any authority she might be able to have undermined by Carter holding her like this.

Brian was grinning and Kat glared at him. He leaned over toward her, unaffected. "Oh come on, it's not that bad. He's much nicer than they were."

"They? Who are they?" Richard leaned a bit toward her.

"That is none of your business." Kat turned to glare at him, and Richard actually was affected. He backed up, trying to get a bit of distance.

"That's enough, Richard, leave her be." Carter shifted so that Kat would be more comfortable. She relaxed a bit; at least enough that she was leaning back into Carter rather than trying to pull away.

The group sat in the shade for nearly half an hour before Brian left, and Richard left a few minutes later. Kat sat unhappily in Carter's arms. "You can let me go now." He did as she said and she moved to sit down beside him. Carter was staring at her and Kat easily got annoyed by it. "What?"

Carter didn't answer right away. "Why are you so against being part of this team? You're always telling me that I should get closer to the team, but here you don't even want to sit with us."

Kat stood up and looked off toward the base. "I don't know you well enough to tell you that. Maybe I just don't want you to be a leader that they hate." She walked off, leaving Carter behind and without any real answer.


	80. 017 Complicated

017 Complicated

Kat stared down at the floor while Carter stared at the woman. "Kat, why won't you just answer the question? It's not that big of a deal." He sighed and leaned back in his seat.

"I don't want to answer it. It's complicated." Kat fiddled with the datapad in her hands. "I just don't want to talk about it." She busied herself with some file, at least trying to look like it was important. Kat stopped as Carter put his hand on the screen and forced her to put the device down. She still didn't look up, looking even further away from him. "Why can't you just let it go?"

Carter pulled the datapad from her hands, being sure to remove the distraction. "Kat, it's my job to know about these kinds of things. What if this gets in the way of you and your duties in the field? I need to know this kind of thing."

"It won't get in the way of my duties. I don't see how it could have anything to do at all with anything we would meet in the field." Kat crossed her arms, upset that she no longer had her datapad to use as an excuse.

"What if whatever makes you not want to talk about this comes up in the field. You haven't told me anything." Carter leaned a bit more toward her. "If you'd just tell me then I'd stop bugging you."

"We aren't going to run into anything like that," Kat assured him.

"How can you be sure of that?"

"It's complicated." Kat finally looked at him and Carter frowned at the look on her face. It was something between shame , anger, and some sort of pain, but he couldn't really figure out a word for it. He wanted to reach out to her, tell her it would be fine, but he stayed still. "The reason I don't want to talk about it has nothing to do with something that can happen in the field."

"Why can't you just tell me?" Carter reached over and set his hand on her shoulder. "Don't you trust me enough to tell me?"

Kat's anger suddenly turned on him. "Don't make it like that." She pushed his hand away. "This isn't about trust. I don't want it to be part of my life any more. They don't matter to me, just a thing of the past. I want to leave them there, so let it go." She gave him a pleading look.

Carter felt a bit of guilt. He felt bad for pushing the topic, but he had to. He was curious, and he felt an odd need to know what it was that she was keeping from him. He leaned back in his seat. He weighted the options, deciding that trying to force her to tell her why would be counterproductive. It would only make her angrier at him and that wouldn't do her any good.

Kat stood up and hesitated for a moment. "If you want to make sure that it never affects me, then just keep being the way you are." She leaned over and placed a light kiss on his cheek. "Why would my old team matter anyway? I have the best team now." She grabbed the datapad and walked out of the room.

Carter frowned, once more only more confused by Kat's answer. That seemed to be her specialty. Each time he tried to get answers from her she seemed to only give him more questions.


	81. 085 Them

085 Them

"It's us against them. Just that simple." Carter sat down in his seat. He was tired of arguing this with Kat. "Stay focused. You can't have a crisis of will here. They are the enemy and you need to remember that."

"I'm not saying they aren't the enemy. I'm just saying, maybe there is a way to convert them. You and I have both seen the warriors they are. Think if we could get them on our side. The Covenant wouldn't be able to stand against us." Kat moved over to lean against the table beside him. "Think of what a Spartan could do allied with an elite."

"It can't happen, Kat. They are out to destroy our entire species. We can't reason with them, can't bargain with them. We will never work side-by-side with them." Carter didn't understand why she kept arguing this. Maybe it was just to annoy him, that was a possibility. She had a habit of doing that because it amused her. There was something in the way she argued that told him she really did believe in this. She really thought it could happen.

"Why can't it happen? They are honorable, logical beings. They can be reasoned with and we could turn them." Kat frowned at him. "Would you not want one of them fighting alongside you rather then against?"

"No, or have you forgotten everything they've done? They killed your family like they killed mine. How can you forgive them for that?" Carter waited, but he was surprised. Kat didn't seem at all phased by the question.

Kat looked down and then leaned toward Carter a bit. "Well, if they hadn't done everything they did, there would be no Noble Team. I never would have met any of our teammates, or you." She shrugged slightly. "They took one family, but they gave me another. I don't place total blame on the elites. The Covenant isn't just them. Grunts, jackals, whatever ONI thinks is higher than all of those. You can't place all blame on one species."

Carter examined his second in command. She was leaning against him, head resting on his shoulder. "Kat, do you even remember your family?"

She shook her head. As she spoke her voice was quiet. "I don't really remember much from before I became a Spartan. I remember a bit of my home planet…but my parents' faces are fuzzy."

Carter's gaze turned to the ground. "I remember my family. I remember what the Covenant did to them. Yes, I wouldn't be a part of Noble if not for the Covenant, but I don't know if it was worth everything that I went through."

Kat fidgeted nervously. "Then you would give up Noble Team?" She moved away from him and Carter missed the contact. "You'd be all right if you'd never met me?"

"Kat, don't make this like that." Carter sighed as she crossed her arms and looked away from him. He reached out and before she could stop him, wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her toward him. "You know I wouldn't be happy, but you and I, we'd find each other."

Kat looked back at him. "And how exactly do you suppose we would do that?"

Carter shrugged. "I don't know, but we'd find each other. Universe wouldn't function properly without it." He hugged her against him. "Now you need to put this out of your head, Kat. I need to be sure that you won't be having second thoughts in combat."

"I would never show mercy to them." Kat leaned back toward him. "I was just saying I'd be open to it if they decided that they wanted to switch sides. Unless that happens, it will continue to be either us or them, and we have to be sure it will be us…though if they switch sides they will be part of us."

Carter sighed. "Good enough."


	82. 083 And

083 And

Carter was feeling triumphant at the moment. The woman before him wasn't happy, and wasn't trying to hide it. He stood, waiting for her to start. "Well?"

Kat glared at him from across the table. She looked down at the chess board before them, only three pieces on Kat's side and four on Carter's side. The rest were all set off the board.

"You have to say it, Kitty." Carter smiled at the slight blush on her cheek at his nickname. She wouldn't have been embarrassed if it weren't for the situation she was in. "Come on, it's not that bad." He leaned forward onto the table. He shot her what he hoped was one of his more charming smiles.

Kat sighed and leaned back in her chair. "You won." She looked away from him, crossing her arms over her chest.

"And?" Carter was grinning now. He was enjoying her discomfort. He knew that he shouldn't, but he couldn't' help himself. It wasn't often that she was uncomfortable—sure, sometimes contrite when he scolded her, but hardly ever uncomfortable.

"And you are a better strategist."

"And?" Carter was trying to hide how excited he was for the next part. This would at least teach her not to make bets against him. Particularly if she wasn't willing to pay up on those bets.

"Do I really have to say it?" She reached out and picked up her king, examining the sleek black piece.

"You made the bet. You have to pay up. Now say it." He quickly reached out and grabbed the piece from her hand. "Say it, Noble Two."

Kat crossed her arms. "I don't even know what to say." Kat looked away from him, toward the wall. Carter found it amusing. She had been the one who had come up with the final thing they had bet, but now she was backing away from it.

"You have to come up with something. I know that you're inventive, Kat, so I'm sure that you'll come up with something." Carter reached across the board, grabbing his queen piece and placing it before her. "A queen can go anywhere on the board, not bound by the same rules as all the others. You've always shown the same free thinking. This should be a breeze for you."

Kat looked down at the piece. "Well, that's just cheating." Carter raised an eyebrow. "How am I supposed to refuse to say something when you go and be sweet like that?"

Carter smiled, leaning back in his seat. "Well then, let's hear it."

Kat smirked. "You know, for having been so against me adding it to our bet, you sure are eager to hear me say something."

"Enough stalling. You did it, now pay up." Carter didn't acknowledge the fact that she was right. When she'd first suggested it, he had balked, but she had persisted until he had caved. Now he was eager to find out what she would come up with.

Kat stood up and Carter frowned. He feared that she was just going to walk out without making good. Instead, she moved over to stand beside him, leaning down so that her lips grazed his ear. She whispered into his ear, her voice quiet and sensual. As she spoke Carter felt his face flush and he took in a deep breath. She finished and he shivered as her tongue ran over the lobe of his ear.

Kat stood up and looked down at him, grinning at the stunned expression on his face. Carter sat in silence, his mind imagining what she'd just told him. He took a deep breath and then looked up to her. "You are a naughty kitten." A grin spread over his face.

Kat shrugged her shoulders a bit. "Well, the deal was something dirty. Too bad we can't actually do those things." She turned and started to walk out of the room. Carter didn't know what to do for a moment but as soon as she vanished out of the door she stood up and followed after her.


	83. 074 Night

074 Night

The falcons would come to pick them up and take them to the saber program in a few hours. In the meantime Carter had ordered his team to get some rest. Tomorrow was going to be a long day and they would need all of their energy. Luckily the cave was large and there was plenty of room for them all to sleep.

Carter had put Jun on watch, as he wouldn't be going to the test facility with them. Emile had already found a quiet place to sleep, Jorge having joined him. Six had gone off all on her own. She'd disappeared and Carter had no idea where she'd gone to. He had found a spot away from all the others, sitting down against the wall so that he could get some sleep.

He had just closed his eyes and was starting to drift off when he heard someone approach. "What?" His voice was agitated.

The person hesitated. "You want me to leave?" She sounded hurt, and hesitant. Despite her words she didn't move away from him.

Carter sighed and opened his eyes. Kat stood a few feet away from him, arms crossed slightly looking down at the ground. "What do you need, Kat?"

She finally looked to him and walked over toward his side. "I was looking for somewhere to sleep." She sat down beside him. The Lieutenant Commander removed her helmet, setting it at her side. She hesitated for a moment before leaning against him.

"Kat, you shouldn't." Carter looked over at her but she ignored him. Instead she wrapped an arm around his waist. Carter shifted a bit lightly pushing her away. "Kat, the others might come back here."

Kat pouted as she was pushed away. "Come on, Commander." He flinched slightly as she used his rank. "Have you realized we've never spent a night together?"

Carter frowned. "We've slept in the same room for years, Kat. We've even had rooms to ourselves." Carter shifted a bit away from her. "That's spending the night together."

"No it's not." Kat moved a bit closer to him, reaching over and placing a hand on his chest plate, gripping the metal a bit to keep him from pushing her away again. "It's not the same as sleeping side by side. Even those times…we didn't stay with each other." She looked down, using her hand to pull herself closer to him a bit. "Please, Carter." Her voice was quiet and pleading. "I don't want to sleep alone right now."

Carter sighed, hating to see her unsettled like this. The ships' destructions, the super carrier, and the 48-hour wait for any back up. It was all a lot for one day, and he couldn't blame her for being unsettled by it all. Deciding he couldn't bring himself to deny her he reached over and pulled her toward his chest. "Fine, but the rules still apply." He let her rest her cheek on his chest as she moved to get as much contact as she could with him, even if their armor was in the way. Her eyes closed as she held onto him. Still she didn't drift off. He could feel it in the air. She wanted to say something but couldn't bring herself to start a conversation. He sighed, deciding he would have to do it. "What's wrong?"

Kat didn't answer right away. "Forty-eight hours, even if we can get up there, do all of this, in that amount of time we could still have already lost the fight." Her hand tightened on his chest plate. "Already lost Reach."

Carter placed a light kiss on the top of her head. "As long as you and I still stand, then Reach has nothing to worry about. Now put it out of your mind and get some sleep." Carter wrapped his arms around her, letting his cheek rest against the top of her head before he closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep.


	84. 078 Where?

078 Where?

Kat stared up at the sky above. She didn't remember at all what was happening. Her body hurt and she really didn't remember why. The memory of Thom, standing over her, looking down flashed through her mind. What had happened? Where was Thom now?

She could hear voices, deep and hurried. She could feel the air of panic around her, but she didn't understand why. What were they all so worried about? Were there Covenant nearby? No, they were saying something about a medical evac. Who was injured? Her mind flashed to Thom and she wondered if he was the one that was injured.

That was when she started to feel the pain. It slowly eased in until it became unbearable. She wanted to cry out, scream in pain, but she couldn't. She couldn't scream, speak, couldn't even ask what was going on. She took deep breaths, trying to figure out what was wrong. Why did she hurt so much? Her right side burned but she oddly couldn't feel her right arm.

Kat's eyes eased open, her vision blurry. The first thing she noticed was the cracks that spread over her visor. She couldn't remember where they came from. The next thing she noticed was the blob of blue that covered most of her vision. It moved above her and she tried to figure out what was going on. Slowly features came into view. She noticed bits of gray and finally the blue blob formed into a person. For a moment she couldn't place who it was and then she remembered. It was Carter.

The man was kneeling over her, talking to someone else. She could barely make out the words. It was something about how far the pelican was. She tried to reach up to him but found that her right arm wouldn't answer her instructions. She took a few deep breaths and moved her left arm, reaching up and grabbing his chest plate.

Carter turned his attention down to her, a hand settling on hers. "Kat, can you hear me?" She nodded her head slightly. "Just hold on, medical evac is coming."

Kat opened her mouth to make words but her throat was dry and she couldn't manage anything. She gripped his armor a bit tighter. She started to look to her right, see what was wrong with her arm but Carter stopped her. She looked up at him, confused as to why he was stopping her.

"You'll be all right, Kat. Just hold on a little longer." Carter looked up as Emile appeared. Emile's words were muffled and Kat couldn't understand them. Carter nodded and turned back to Kat. "This is going to hurt a bit." He moved her right arm then picked her up, bridal style.

He was right, it hurt to be moved. She clenched her teeth and her head fell back as she tried to overcome the pain. The pain eased a bit, though it hurt as Carter started to walk. She set her head against his shoulder and for the first time saw her right arm. It was limp on her stomach and she couldn't feel it at all. She understood what that meant.

Carter set her down in the pelican, moving away for only a moment before he returned. Kat stared up at the ceiling, half her vision consisting of Carter holding her in place so she didn't move on the ride. She listened to the talk about her. Something about her arm. Someone mentioned something about the nerves being cut. She knew enough, even in her fog, to know that that would put her out of action for a long time if they had to go through the extensive process of having a new working arm cloned or the long painful process of having the nerves reattached.

No, being out of the fight for that long wasn't going to work. She focused on the blue armored Spartan above her. She wanted to reach out to him, tell him she'd do whatever she had to in order to be ready to fight as soon as possible. She tried, but her arm refused to move, too tired to do much of anything as she fought to keep her eyes open. Kat's eyes started to ease closed, no longer having the energy to keep them open.


	85. 092 Bedroom

092 Bedroom

Carter stared down at the cot. He wondered how she had gotten it in there, as she didn't really like to let people into her workspace, but also how he hadn't known about it. She would have needed help for it, but no one in Noble had said anything about it, and she didn't really like to let people she didn't know into her area. In fact, he couldn't recall her letting anyone other than him into her area.

It explained a few things at least. Why he had fallen asleep and woken back up without her there several times in the last few days. It had been odd for him, and made him realize exactly how odd it felt not to have her around. He would wake up every couple of hours, expecting her to come in and forcefully steal his pillow and blanket. It felt odd sleeping in his own scent, having gotten so used to sleeping in Kat's scent.

Carter sat down on the cot, staring at the door. He had come in here looking for Kat, as it was where he could usually find her, but she was absent. He sat, just staring at the door, certain that she would be back soon. He waited for ten minutes before he started to feel uncomfortable. No one ever said that UNSC cots were soft. If he was going to wait, he wasn't going to do it in pain. He lay down on the cot, shifting until he was comfortable. He took a deep breath, breathing in Kat's scent. He'd never openly admit it, but he had missed it. Carter's eyes slowly started to close. He eventually drifted off, getting the first solid rest he'd gotten in what felt like forever.

Carter flinched as pain shot across his forehead. He sat up quickly and was surprised to find Kat glaring at him. His hand reached up, rubbing his temple. "Damn Kat, that metal hand hurts."

"What are you doing in here?" Kat ignored his pain, crossing her arms. "And why are you sleeping on my bed?" She bit her lip for a moment. "Wonder if that means I don't have to steal your things."

"I'm here because no one had seen you in a while. I was getting a bit worried." Carter glanced down at the cot. "I was just being comfortable. You took too long to come back." He turned his gaze back to her. "So this is your bed now? Got tired of sharing a room with Noble? Want a bedroom of your own?"

Kat sighed and sat down on the cot beside him. "It is one of my beds. I've been working on some things and I kept falling asleep so I put this in here. Now, when I get tired, rather than falling out of my chair and busting my head, I now have a cot to nap on." She leaned a bit toward him, her hand moving to rest on his leg. "Having a bedroom away from the team seems like a good idea."

Carter tried to move a bit away from her hand but she moved with him. "Well you haven't been in the normal quarters recently."

Kat smirked. "Aw, the big bad Commander noticed that I wasn't around. Did you miss me, Puppy?"

Carter frowned at her and looked away. "Would you stop calling me puppy? It just doesn't sound proper for a Commander." He stood up and Kat looked upset as he moved away from her. "Just make sure that you are in the barracks tonight." Carter moved toward the door.

Kat lay down on her cot and watched him leave. "I'll be there, Lancelot." Carter shook his head, ignoring the nickname before he turned and moved out of the doorway.


	86. 084 He

084 He

He was a complex puzzle, one she'd been trying for so long to understand. It had taken her a while to look under the surface that everyone else saw. On the outside he was serious, businesslike, and logical. Under that, though, she found a passionate, relaxed man. He wasn't this way all the time, and since he was usually serious, people often overlooked his softer side. All they ever seemed to see was the serious Commander, not the man behind the armor. Sometimes it was hard to get to that man. He kept up the serious part of him so much that breaking through was a sometimes agitating and difficult task, even for her.

Her eyes closed as she listened to his heart beat under her. She absently ran a hand over his chest, matching her pace with his heart. His left arm was resting on her shoulder, holding his datapad up. He'd agreed to lie down with her, but he had refused to put down his work. She had to admire the dedication, always making sure that he completed all his work without fail. He did have an entire team to lead after all, so she couldn't fault him for not giving her some time for just them.

She wondered what he was working on. Probably something she didn't understand. He tended to look more at the big picture, while she always had trouble seeing it. He could see the whole of the machine, the bigger battle strategy, while she only really looked at the individual skirmishes. He looked at soldiers as tools. He knew how they worked, what they were best used for, but that was all they tended to be to him. Sure, he would look at the cracks and dents in them to be sure that they wouldn't break in a fight, but he didn't go past that. Sometimes it frustrated her. They were a team after all, a family; it seemed like he could do a bit more to be close to the people in his team. Still, he got the job done and done well. She supposed that as long as it worked it didn't need fixing. She'd just have to set her frustration aside—after all, command only cared about results.

Though that was a question she had always wondered about. Those that were a part of the team seemed to have something in their past that had made them a bit broken. She herself had such issues, though she was finding them fading into oblivion the longer she was part of the team. He'd never shown any signs of having any blemish such as those on his past. Maybe he was just good at hiding them, or maybe that was why he was their leader. He wasn't broken, but he knew how to fix those that were. She had to admit that the soldiers who had joined their team did seem to improve on their issues after they joined.

Her eyes started to close and she started to drift off, just as he shifted to sit up. She felt heartbroken as he moved off of the cot and toward the table. She moved so she was lying down in the warm spot that he'd left behind. She breathed in deep, taking in his scent. A smile spread over her face as her senses filled with the essence of him.

The warmth returned as he settled back down beside her, wrapping an arm around her. She scooted toward him, burying her face in his chest and pulling herself close against him. He was her Commander, her Carter, and she loved him.


	87. 027 Lunch

027 Lunch

Cater was staring down at his food, going over the information that he'd been given about their upcoming mission. He could hear the voices of his teammates sitting around him at the table, but he wasn't paying attention to them. They were talking about some pointless topic, and he needed to stay focused.

Carter was pulled out of his thoughts when an elbow jabbed him in the side. He looked over to find Kat glaring at him. She whispered to him, trying not to make too much of a fuss. "Would you at least try to be part of the conversation? You are a part of this team, after all."

Carter scowled at her. "You seem to be doing just fine without me. I don't see why I need to be a part of the conversation." He kept his own voice quiet. It really wasn't a big deal but he didn't want to bring any attention to their conversation.

Kat didn't let up. "You are the leader of this team. You have to at least act like you want to be on a team with these people. They are living humans, so treat them like it and get to know them." She made a slight motion toward the soldier around them. "Be our leader."

"A leader doesn't need to personally know his soldiers. I can lead them just as well with just their personnel files. I do not need to take part in this conversation." Carter didn't see why she was pushing this. It really didn't concern her if he got to know his soldiers personally. He didn't have to do things the way she wanted him to.

"They are not tools. You can't just read the owner's manual and think that it's the same as getting a real feel for what you are working with. Who a person is outside of combat is just as much a part of them as who they are in combat." Kat was leaning closer toward him. "Get to know them."

Carter leaned a bit toward her. "I will lead this team however I want, Catherine. It is none of your business how well I know my soldiers."

Kat's elbow met Carter's side again and he flinched a bit as she used real force. "Don't call me that, I'm Kat. If you would treat me like a human rather than a tool. And it is my business how you lead. I am after all your second in command."

Carter was really starting to get annoyed. She had no right to be questioning his way of doing things. "If getting to know them is so important to you, then why don't you get to know them?"

"I already to know them, better than you, even the Alpha Company. I know more about the members of this team. I bet you don't even know anything about me, and I'm your second in command." Kat's voice was rising in volume. She'd forgotten about whispering, she was too angry.

"Oh really, then how much do you know about me?" Cater had stopped whispering as well. This was now just a heated discussion, in front of their team.

"I know that you are a cold-hearted jerk and that the Lieutenant Commander should have made me the leader of this team." Kat's words were harsh and they surprised Carter. She'd spoken a few times of Carter having been the wrong one to lead the team, but he thought that was in the past. Here though she was bringing it up again.

"Uh oh, mommy and daddy are fighting." Brian leaned forward on the table. "You two aren't going to get a divorce are you?"

"If you are want to give this a shot?" Richard leaned toward Kat and pointed to himself. "I won't argue with you and I know you much better then Carter does."

"We are not getting divorces, we are not your parents, and I am not going give you a shot." Kat pushed Richard a bit away from her. Carter stood up and grabbed his tray of food. Kat turned to look up at him. "Where do you think you are going?"

"Somewhere more quiet, where I can plan for the upcoming mission without these distractions." He moved away from the table and out of the mess hall. He knew that Kat would come looking for him, and drag him back, but until then he'd try to get some peace and quiet, as soon as he found somewhere he could be alone.


	88. 016 Simple

016 Simple

Carter stared at the woman beside him like she was crazy. She stared back, or at least he thought she was—it was hard to tell through her visor. He couldn't believe that she was actually serious about what she had proposed. It was insane, to say the least. He opened his mouth but he couldn't find words.

"What? It's simple." Kat looked around at the rest of their team. The others shifted, not sure how to react and not wanting to get involved.

"There is nothing simple about that plan." Carter couldn't believe that the team weren't siding with him. The plan was suicidal, and there was no way it would work. "What part of this do you think is simple?"

"All of it. I don't see how this could be any more simple than I've made it, and it will work." Kat set her hands on her hips. "So, are we going to do it or what?"

There was an odd feeling in the air, and Carter could tell that his response was important. The entire team was waiting, and if he said the wrong things it could turn out badly for him. The problem was, he didn't know what they wanted him so say. Did they want him to take the safe route and deny the plan, or go with it to show support of a fellow teammate?

Finally Carter decided to just make a decision. "Sara, Tyler, go round up the warthogs. Richard, start collecting the turrets. Brian, gather up as many Covenant weapons as you can. Kat, you're going to explain to me how this is actually supposed to work." The Spartans moved off to their assigned tasks. When they were gone Carter let out a long sigh. "I can't believe I'm about to charge headlong into a large collection of Covenant troops with makeshift wraith-hogs just so we can get the slight chance of rising some rockets at the supports of a AA-gun." He turned to Kat, waiting for her to explain.

Kat crossed her arms and Carter could almost see her smirking under her helmet. "That will do."

Carter scowled. "That will do for what?"

Kat took a step toward him so she was standing before him. "For you earning my trust."

Carter stared at her, smiling slightly. She'd had been becoming more and more friendly, but to hear that he had her trust was a big victory. "You do realize I didn't really have much of a choice. The plan is crazy, but we're in a pinch and I'm not about to fail."

"I'll take it." Kat was silent for a moment before she spoke again. "I know that sometimes I'll come up with crazy plans, but I know they will work." There was confidence in her voice and Carter found it hard not to really believe what she was saying.

"I'll keep that in mind." Carter crossed his arms. "Now back to what's at hand. Explain to me exactly how you are going to do this."

Kat stared at him for a moment and then launched into a long explanation of how she was going to adapt the wraith turrets to the warthogs. He didn't understand more than every tenth worth she said. As long as it worked that was all that counted. At least now he had Kat's trust, which made her the last member of the team to finally accept him fully. Now they could really get to work.


	89. 036 Secrets

036 Secrets

Kat was trying to ignore Carter as he paced across the room, but it was harder than it seemed to drown out the steady beat of his feet on the floor. Finally, she'd had enough. Kat turned in her chair and glared at the Commander. "Would you stop that? I'm trying to focus."

Carter stopped and looked at her, surprise evident on his face. He hesitated for a moment before he moved over to the seat beside her. "Sorry." Carter sat down on the seat and leaned forward onto the table. He rubbed at his temples, obviously still upset.

Kat returned back to her work but she found it hard to ignore that he was upset. She let out a long sigh and turned to him. "What's wrong?"

Cater looked over at her. His left hand reached out, fingers carefully running over her metallic forearm. He didn't even seem to register that he was doing it. His eyes were still locked on Kat's face. "She comes tomorrow. I don't know if she'll fit in or if we've made the right choice."

Kat let out a groan. He'd been getting more and more nervous over the past week. He'd tried to keep himself busy with basic jobs around the small base, including setting up all their gear in the new camp they would be spending the night in. The problem was that hadn't taken him too long to do all of that. Kat had spent the last week trying to come up with things he could do but she'd run out of those as well. When she had she'd tried to keep his mind off of the soon to arrive Six by spending time with him, doing whatever he wanted to. The problem was she couldn't fully give him her time at the moment. She needed to get this work finished.

"You need to stop thinking about that. She is the right choice. I'm sure that she'll find a spot in our team." Kat inwardly cursed as she said the words. She was sure that their new Six would work, but not as sure about if she would fit in. What she was really regretting was that she had admitted she knew something about this Six. Carter already wouldn't stop asking her about her old team from Beta. She could only hope that he wouldn't catch her words.

Carter's hand grabbed her right arm and carefully lifted it up. Kat glared at him, thinking of pulling her arm away but she stopped as she saw his face. He was studying her arm so closely, looking at each and every visible moving part. He was trying to do something to ease his mind, and as long as he stayed focused on it maybe he would relax some.

"You've had this thing for a while and I've never really looked at it." Carter's eyes shifted to her face. "Never took the time."

Now Kat pulled her arm from his hand. "You don't need to worry about my arm. It is in working order, that is all you need to know. I can handle everything else about it." He opened his mouth to say something but her finger rest against his lip to silence him. "If you try to take blame again I swear I will slap you, and a metal hand hurts." Carter shut his mouth and she removed her hand.

Carter turned his attention back to the table before him. They fell into silence for a while before he spoke again. "So have you ever worked with her before? Our new Six."

Kat didn't answer right away. She checked a wire to what she was working on. Finally she knew he was going to have to let it go so she had to answer. "She was a part of Beta, so of course I worked with her." Really Kat did remember her. It was hard to forget 312. The way she fought, and the way she did things, the number of loses that Kat had received from her.

Carter leaned forward on the table. "So what is she like, fighting style, all that?"

"She is a good soldier. You can read the reports on all that she's done." Kat picked at her device before she finally closed it up. "I have worked with her and she is a very skilled soldier."

Carter leaned toward her. "What kind of things did you work with her on? Were you and she close? Will I be fighting her as much as I fight you?"

Kat stood up. She leaned down toward him and although he leaned a bit toward her they still didn't touch. "First, you don't fight me, and you know it." Carter looked away from her at that. He didn't want to admit that what happened wasn't really fighting between them. It was mainly her convincing him that she was right most of the time. She didn't tend to fight him on the things he was already right about. "Second," she leaned toward him and placed a kiss on his cheek. She didn't pull away, rather leaned over so her lips were beside his ear so he could hear her whisper. "A girl has to have some secrets."

Kat moved away from him and Carter watched her walked toward the door. "Where are you going?" He turned in his chair to watch her.

Kat stopped and turned back to him. "I'm going to take a shower. Smelled like you could use one as well." Kat raised her hand and waved it back and forward as though trying to fan away the smell. She turned and moved out of the room.

A slight smile spread over Carter's face. He stood up and moved after her. "I could use a good clean." He hurried to catch up with her as she headed toward the locker room and showers.


	90. 018 Accident

018 Accident

She didn't know where the shot had come from. There hadn't been any sign of shades on the rooftops, or any other banshees in the sky. It had only been one shot, but that was all the enemy had needed. The shot had struck the right wing of her banshee, melting the stabilizer. Her craft wavered and started to lose altitude.

Kat struggled with the controls, trying to pull up, but it wouldn't do as she commanded. The wing sparked and then the end of it plummeted to the ground. Kat cursed as she started to fall faster. She wasn't going to go down like this, she had to do something. She looked over the ground below. There were Covenant forces all around. If she landed there then she would be surrounded. She wouldn't last long with how many heavily armed troops there were on the ground. She was too far from the UNSC troops.

Things had been going so well before this. She, Emile, and Thom had stolen some banshees and made an assault on the main AA-guns and shade turrets to allow Noble to bring in a scorpion tank and allow a company of marines to make an assault. They had taken out the shades and AA-gun with ease. Seeing as it had been so easy, Kat decided they could do more. She had ordered the others to scout out the area. She'd been heading back toward the UNSC forces. That was when she'd been hit.

Kat scanned the rooftops around her and finally decided. She found the most flat roof and slowed as much as she could. The banshee hit the roof and Kat held on tight as skidded over the hard surface. The banshee flipped and finally came to a stop. Kat opened the hatch and she slid out of the vehicle. The banshee was trashed and wouldn't be able to fly again.

That was when she heard the barks. It was a second later that the first of the plasma shots hit her. Kat slid back behind the wrecked banshee as quickly as she could, but she could still feel that her armor had been heated from the plasma. She pulled out her pistol and prepared to face the grunts. Kat peeked out at the opponents and she spotted four grunts, plasma pistols at the ready. The head grunt, a veteran by the armor, barked and the grunts all moved. All four grunts pulled out plasma grenades and tossed them. The bright blue explosives stuck to the side of the banshee and Kat dove down to the ground. The grenades went off and bright purple and blue flames spread over the roof. The grunts all dove to the ground to avoid the blast.

The skin on Kat's legs and back burned and she let out a cry of pain as it spread all the way up to her neck. The fire vanished and Kat lay on the roof, trying to collect herself. The pain was overwhelming and she needed to wait for it to subside enough for her to be able to move. She didn't really have the time to do so, though. She could hear the grunts already getting back up; she needed to as well. Kat tried to move but her body screamed in pain, refusing to respond as she wanted it to.

She could swear she heard her name being called out, but her ears were still ringing from the combined explosion and it was muffled. The grunt barked in surprise and it was followed by four quick shots. Kat struggled to her hands and knees, trying to push the pain aside enough to be able to stand, but her head was swimming and she was having trouble catching her breath.

A hand settled on her shoulder and Kat winced a bit at the weight. "Kat, are you all right?" The voice was concerned and she looked up to see the very familiar blue helmet. His hands grabbed her arms and helped her stand up, though her body still protested the movement. He didn't release his grip on her arm when she was on her feet. "Can you stand on your own?"

Kat's legs felt weak and she shook her head. "No, I don't think I can." Her free hand moved to his armor to try to hold herself up, though there was no need as he was still bracing her arm. "The backs of my legs are burned; they can't support the weight right now."

Carter looked around at the surrounding roofs and then back at Kat. "You're the smart one; can a jetpack hold two Spartans?"

Kat thought about the question for a moment. "It could, for a very short while. You'd only be able to move short distances. Anything more and the weight would be too much for it." She leaned against him for support.

"Do you think that it could make it from building to building?" Carter looked toward the sky and pulled them down to hide with the wreckage of the broken banshee as a patrol of banshees passed overhead. There were three of them so they obviously weren't Noble.

Kat did the calculations quickly and nodded. "As long as you don't try to go over any six lane roads you could do it, if you were careful. You'd have to jump and then use the pack or you'd fall short."

"Hope that brain of yours was functioning properly when you did that math." Carter's arms moved so one was under Kat's knees and shoulder as he picked her up bridal style. He moved over to the edge of the roof and shifted her a bit.

"You do realize I'm going to kill you for this." Her arms instinctively went around his neck to hold on as he carried her. The contact to her back and legs hurt but by now it had all gone numb and she couldn't really feel it. The medical systems of her armor must have kicked in. At least those were still working.

"You can kill me when I've gotten you somewhere safe." With that Carter jumped from the building, igniting his jetpack at the height of his jump.


	91. 087 Life

087 Life

Kat stared at the fallen human before her. The pistol was still clutched tightly in her hand. Blood coated the wall behind the body and splattered over the dirt. The rebel's eyes were cold and clouded, the light gone from them. The rebel base had fallen silent and as she stared at the corpse it seemed to unsettle her. It was too quiet, like everything had died. She could feel her arm shaking just a little bit. She was angry, confused, and didn't really know how to work it all out.

"Kat?" She turned to face Carter as he spoke. "Are you all right?" Noble One moved over to stand beside her. He glanced down at the dead rebel and then looked back to her.

Kat turned her gaze back toward the body. "Why do they do it?" It was the question that was plaguing her at the moment. That always did when they went on missions like this. "Why do they just throw their lives away? Don't they know about the war that's going on?"

Carter didn't answer right away. His gaze was fixed on Kat as he spoke. "They don't see it as throwing their lives away. They believe in what they are doing. They see it as worth it in the end, just as we see it as reasonable to put our lives on the line. We believe in what we're doing, so we don't think twice of the danger."

Kat finally tore her gaze from the body and turned toward Carter. "But don't they realize that we're losing the war? That every life is needed? Here they continue to fight and die. Why do they do it?"

Carter looked down toward her right hand where the gun was now visibly shaking. He reached over and carefully took it from her. As soon as it was out of her hand she clenched her fist. Carter attached the pistol to his hip armor. "I don't think they know we are losing." Kat tilted her head to the side, indicating her confusion. "You and I both know that the UNSC would do their best to make it seem like they aren't losing. If humanity thinks it is being destroyed by the Covenant then the soldiers would lose hope as well, and they wouldn't fight as well. All the rebels see is that the UNSC is busy with the Covenant, so it's what they view as a perfect chance. The soldiers are gone so they can do whatever they want and go through with plans they couldn't if the UNSC was more present." Carter placed a hand on her shoulder. "Come on, Kat. You're more than smart enough to see that."

The hand was heavy on Kat's shoulder. It wasn't forceful, more of a reassuring weight that was trying to keep her grounded, make her see the logic. "You are right, sir. I just…I became a Spartan to kill the Covenant, not people."

Kat could feel Carter's smile even through his visor. It seemed to ease the mood around them. "We all did, Kat. We want to get back at them for what they did to our families." Kat looked down. She no longer really felt that was why she was doing this. "We have our orders, and we'll follow them." Carter's hand moved over, forcing her to look up at him. "Put it out of your mind. Stay focused on the mission."

Kat sighed and reached over, pulling her pistol from Carter's armor. "I wish it were that easy, sir." She moved past him, trying to put the fallen rebel out of her mind, but she still couldn't remove the guilt she felt over a human's death. She could hear Carter's footsteps in the mud behind her as they moved to join up with the rest of Noble.


	92. 065 Anniversaries

065 Anniversaries

Carter was not a big fan of holidays. All the other members of his team seemed to like to celebrate them, but he didn't understand that. To him each and every holiday reminded him of his family, of all he'd lost. He would look on the colorful decorations and remember seeing similar ones in his own home. Memories like that only made him hurt, so he avoided them.

It was a similar reason why he was currently laying on his cot, having spent most of the day avoiding his team. His mind was plagued by the memory of his family, and he didn't want his team to see him that way. Right now he didn't feel like the commander of an elite group of Spartans. He felt more like the lost little child who he'd been before he'd been taken away to Onyx.

Carter heard the door open but he didn't look up. He ignored the figure as it walked over and stood beside him. He didn't open his eyes, just hoped she would go away. She didn't. Instead her weight settled on the cot beside him. He tried to ignore her but it was hard. Finally he knew that she wasn't going to go away, and it was starting to annoy him. "What?"

Kat didn't reply right away. Carter opened his eyes and found her staring down at him. He flinched a bit at the worry on her face. This was why he had been avoiding her. He knew that she would be worried over the way he was acting. Finally she spoke. "What's wrong?" Her hand moved over and he felt it settle on his upper arm. Carter crossed his arms over his chest but Kat moved her hand with him. "Tell me."

Cater groaned. "It's not important—" He was cut off when Kat's elbows roughly landed on his chest and he flinched at the pain. She set her chin on her hands. He sighed and knew that he wasn't going to get away without answering. "Today's the anniversary." He looked away from her, not really wanting to talk about it.

Kat shifted so that her arms were lying over his chest and her chin was resting on them. "The anniversary of what? Aren't anniversaries usually happy times, not depressing?"

Carter scowled. "See, you don't understand. Can't you just leave it be? Please, Kat, I don't really want to talk about it. Why do you think I avoided you?"

Kat shifted and Carter felt her hands move along the side of his neck. She pulled herself up a bit until her face was nuzzled into the crook between his shoulder and neck. She just stayed there for a moment, and Carter had to fight to keep himself from reacting. The way she pulled him closer almost made him think that she was enjoying the contact, but he knew that wasn't true. She was just trying to get to him. "Just tell me."

He knew that she wouldn't stop until he continued, not that he wanted her to. He enjoyed the warmth that she gave him and the feel of having her comfort. The problem was that if he didn't tell her what she wanted to know, he knew that she would stop. Eventually she'd realize that pulling away would be the ideal way to torment him, and she'd be more than willing to do so.

Carter turned his gaze to the ceiling above. "This isn't a happy anniversary, Kat. It's the anniversary of the day the Covenant killed my parents."

Kat sat up and he missed her warmth. "Carter, I'm sorry." He watched her as she tried to decide what she should do. He sat up with her and he looked over at her. Kat looked away from him. "Do you want me to go?"

Carter wasn't really sure what he wanted at the moment. Finally he shook his head. "No, I'd rather you stayed. I could use my best friend."

Kat looked toward him and smiled slightly. "If you need me, you only need to ask." Carter lay back down and Kat once more lay on his chest. They fell into silence, Carter just enjoying having Kat there. Somehow it made him feel better. He may have lost his family, but when he did it set him down the road to becoming a part of Noble, and meeting Kat.


	93. 070 Protection

070 Protection

Kat's arms were elbow deep into the wires she was working on. She needed to get power back or they wouldn't be able to communicate with command, or open any of the doors in the facility. If they could get in then they would have ammunition to the Covenant that were soon going to arrive. She knew that Carter was looking to her to get this done so they'd have a chance.

She could feel the other Spartan's eyes on her. "You ever notice that the Commander never leaves you without a guard?" Emile's tone was light, but she knew he was trying to get at something deeper.

"You do realize how important getting power back is, right?" Kat glanced over her shoulder at him. "Not to mention, both of you are good at close combat, and that's what's best to have if the person being protected is all tied up in a ton of wires."

Emile chuckled. "I have to admit, I like the thought of you all tied up. Though for what I have in mind I think we'd need chains instead of wires."

Kat could feel his eyes taking in every inch of her that he could see. She turned back toward her work. "Get your mind out of the gutter, Emile, before I report you for sexual harassment."

The third person in the room laughed outright at this. "She's right, Emile. Be careful or she'll tattle to her boyfriend. No telling what he'll do if he finds out you've been messing with his little kitty." Richard leaned forward onto his knees. "Though if you ever get her in chains then call me up. I'd love to take part of that."

Kat stopped what she was doing and turned to glare at Richard. "What have I told you about that kind of thing? Must I remind you that I am your superior officer, and that this kind of behavior can get you demoted?"

Richard huffed and Emile leanded back in his spot so he was resting against the wall. "Come on, Kat, you know that there are more than just strategic reasons for why he puts protection around you. I mean, why would you need the both of us when the enemies not even here yet?"

Kat didn't answer that right away. She understood what he was trying to get at. It was the same thing that Emile and Richard had been teasing her about since the two men had become friends. "Tara is preparing a turret to help us defend, and Carter and Thom went to scout out how close the Covenant are. There's nothing else for you to do then sit here and watch me."

"Don't mind watching you, though I'd prefer if you had on less armor." Emile's smirk was evident in his voice. "Why is it that every single time that I get to stare at you for a period of time, you're always in full armor?"

Kat was about to scold him when Richard spoke. "Because Carter's careful. Ever notice that he keeps her busy until the rest of the team has gotten all washed up. I swear he does it so that he can have her all to himself."

Kat was really starting to get annoyed. Whenever Carter wasn't around they never seemed to hold back on the teasing. It was like they didn't think she would actually go through with the threat. Emile didn't seem to even notice her annoyance. "You know you should move over here. Much better view."

Richard got up and moved over to sit beside Emile. "Damn, you are right. Wonder what that would look like out of armor. Maybe next time she's showering we should sneak in."

"Do that and the two of you will be killed." Kat rounded on them and it would be hard for them not to hear the venom in her voice. "Since you both seem to be so afraid of Carter maybe next time I take a shower I'll have him stand guard. That way if you try to get in he'll have good proof to send you both to the brig."

The two men were silent for a moment. "You know he would do that." Emile looked over at Richard. "We'll have to come up with a different plan. I am not going to give up on this."

"You both are grown men. Don't you have something better to do?" Kat was trying to keep her calm, but it was hard. She could handle just one of them, but the both of them were insufferable.

"First of all, staring at your rear is the best thing we could be doing. Second, we are grown men. That is why this is the best thing we can be doing." Richard crossed his arms as he relaxed. "You should really take this as a compliment."

"Really I still don't see why you choose the Commander, unless you got something for guys in power." Emile tilted his head back against the wall. "You got plenty of willing guys like us that would be more than happy to be your humble servants."

Kat turned fully toward the two men. "That is enough. The both of you need to shut it and let me work!" Kat froze and looked to her left.

Carter stood in the doorway, obviously confused. "They getting too out of hand for you?" He looked over at Richard and Emile who both stood.

"No, they are not too much for me to handle. They are just a distraction." She glared at the two offending men before turning back to Carter. "Never put the two of them on duty to watch my back at the same time ever again." She jabbed his chest to emphasize her point before she turned and moved back to her work.

Carter looked at Richard and Emile, who were trying to play innocent. He shook his head and moved over to the side and sat down to wait for Kat to get the power on. Thom moved over to join Richard and Emile, filling them in on what he and Carter had seen while they were scouting.

Kat pulled and spliced wires. All the while she was very aware that the two pairs of eyes that had been watching her had turned into four.


	94. 050 Emotion

050 Emotion

Carter had always been a bit jealous of Kat. Not that he would admit it. She always seemed to get along so well with all of the other members of the team, while he always had trouble. Even from the start, Kat had easily made friends with all of the members of Noble, even the Alpha company Spartans. It had taken Carter twice as long to even really get to know the members who had been from Beta.

Right now Kat was sitting and laughing with Richard and Tara. The Beta woman seemed at ease with the two Alpha Spartans. Carter was sitting beside Kat, but even with the fact he was an Alpha Spartan and should feel comfortable with them, he felt sort of out of place. He wasn't really a part of the conversation and he wasn't really sure what they were talking about.

An elbow hit his side and he looked over to Kat who was staring at him. "Are you all right? You've been just sitting there for a while, not saying anything."

Carter looked around and realized that both Tara and Richard had left. He hadn't even realized that they'd left and now he felt a bit embarrassed. "I was just lost in my head. Where did Richard and Tara go?"

"Tara went to check out the new hogs that they are bringing in, cause it has rockets, or something, and Richard went to the gym to get in a little extra work out." Kat leaned back in her seat. "You know you seem to get lost a lot in your mind. You need to try to get out of your head more often."

Carter crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm not particularly good at that, if you haven't noticed."

"I have noticed that. You really need to get closer to your soldiers. Do you even really know anything about Thom? He's been on the team for some time but you don't seem to even have bonded with him at all." Kat leaned forward onto the table, turning so she was facing Carter. "They are people, you know."

"He trusts me, follows my orders. What else could I want from him? I don't see why we would need to be friends." Carter was really just hiding the fact that it did annoy him. Thom had been a part of the team for some time, and he should have made friends with him by now, but he hadn't. "I'm not like you Kat; I can't just sit down with them and chat. I'm the leader of this team; I have to be seen as such."

Kat frowned at him and he inwardly cursed as she leaned back and crossed her arms. "So what, you don't think they see me as a part of the leadership? Like I'm never put in charge of them in the field and they never take orders from me."

Carter groaned at the anger in her voice. "You know I didn't mean it that way, Kat. I mean when you lead them in the field you're still basically following my orders, or in your case ignoring my orders and doing whatever you want to." Kat seemed to ease a bit at his words. "I mean you know what I mean. They don't look at you and me the same. The fact that you go against me makes you easier for them to get along with."

"I suppose you are right about that." Kat thought and Carter couldn't help but smile as he could see the wheels turning in her head. "But you are at ease around me. So how do you explain that?" She looked over at him and smirked. "See, you are smiling, you don't do that much around the others."

"I see you as a part of the leadership of this team." Kat openly smiled, allowing him to see that she was pleased with his admission. "If I can't get along with you, I can't put you in charge of teams, or take your advice when I make plans." They fell into silence and Carter wasn't really sure what was going through Kat's head. She was just staring at him and he was feeling a bit uneasy under her gaze. "What?"

"If the rest of the team could see this more talkative side of you then you wouldn't have any trouble making friends with them."

Carter huffed slightly. "I didn't choose to be open with you. You forced yourself on me, made me become friendly with you. The rest of the members of the team aren't willing to do that."

Kat stood up and Carter watched her. "Well maybe more of them should make the effort." She set a hand on his shoulder and leaned down a bit. "Or maybe it's because of something more." Carter frowned at what she was insinuating. She would not let it go that he'd banned them doing this kind of thing. Before he could say anything her hand was removed. Kat moved toward the door and stopped, looking back. "You know, if you showed a little emotion, maybe they'd be more willing to make the effort."

Carter shook his head. "Not going to work." He leaned back in his seat, relaxed. "We aren't doing that anymore." Kat let out a frustrated groan and moved out of the room, leaving Carter to wonder if she was right. If he made himself a bit more available, maybe he could make friends with the fellow members of his team. No, that just didn't suit him. Kat had forced him to, in the end, a pleasant position where he was open with her, but he just couldn't force himself to not be the way he was. He'd just have to leave Kat to the making friends, and he'd focused on keeping the team in order so they kept the team.


	95. 091 Peace

091 Peace

Carter rolled over, trying to make himself more comfortable on the worn cushions. Something felt a bit off, but something also felt right about it. He could hear the steady tick of a clock and a pair of hushed voices that were talking. He couldn't understand exactly what they were talking about as his back was turned to them and they were whispering. He tried to drift back to sleep but he couldn't manage it.

Finally Carter rolled over and opened his eyes, surprised to find himself staring at an eagerly waiting five-year-old girl and seven-year-old boy. They grinned happily as they saw that he was awake. "Yay, you're done with your nap. That means we can go." The little boy jumped up and down a bit and then started to run off.

The younger girl remained still and quiet, just watching Carter. He could tell she was shy and was afraid to speak up. Carter sat up on the couch and smiled at the little girl. She smiled back at him and Carter reached out to her. He didn't know why he did it or why it felt completely normal. He'd never been good with children but the little girl ran toward him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Carter's arms circled around her and lifted the child up. She made herself comfortable in his arms and he moved through the house.

It was a simple house, just one floor, and somehow he knew the layout. He moved through the hallway to the kitchen, not really sure how he knew where everything was. He reached the clean white kitchen and smiled as he spotted the little boy standing by the counter, staring up at the sandwiches that were set out. Carter smiled as he realized the child was still bouncing. He wondered if he would ever run out of energy.

Carter's gaze turned to the table where an adorable three-year-old little girl was sitting, coloring with some crayons. He moved over and looked over her shoulder at the roughly drawn picture of the Noble Team symbol. He couldn't help but smile as she looked up toward him. She grinned at him and pointed at her picture. "Do you like it, Daddy?"

Carter was a bit surprised to be being called 'daddy', and not by Kat trying to tease him. He nodded to the little girl. "It's perfect, dear." He didn't really know what he was saying, but the words came from his mouth and the girl grinned wider. He turned his attention to the boy who was trying to grab one of the sandwiches. "Richard, keep your hands off."

The boy retracted his hand and looked at Carter. He could see that the child was ashamed of having been caught. He moved away from the food and Carter was forced to put the girl in his arms down. She seemed unhappy about it but moved over to sit next to the other girl. "Are we doing to leave soon, dad?" Richard asked.

"As soon as your mother is ready to go, then we'll head out." Carter watched as the boy became upset. "Are you sure you have everything for today?" Richard nodded his head. "Well then why don't you go see what's taking your mother so long." Richard ran out of the room and Carter moved back over to the two girls. "Are you both ready for the day?"

The three-year-old nodded her head. "I've got everything, daddy." The other girl nodded as well but didn't say anything. "Do you think that mommy will be much longer?"

Carter was about to answer when the women in question entered the room, Richard on her heels. "I can't believe you sent him after me." Carter smiled as she moved over to him wrapping her arms around his neck. "You should really be man enough to come and get me yourself."

Carter smirked at her. "You want to see how man I am, Kitten?" Carter chuckled as he heard a chorus of 'eww' from the children. "All right, let's all get moving. The day's not getting any longer." The children moved from the table and started to run toward the door.

"Slow down. Don't run too far ahead." Kat tried to herd the children where they wanted to go while Carter followed behind. As he moved outside he was surprised to find they were on Biko. It didn't even strike him that it was impossible, that Biko had been glassed but here it was just as he had remembered it as a child. He was just happy, and he didn't want anything to get in the way.

They spent the entire day at a beautiful park. Carter played catch with Richard, watched as the girls played in the flowers, and just watched the children play. When the sun was setting they packed up their things and carried the kids home.

Carter had just finished getting Richard to go to sleep when he moved toward the master bedroom. He stripped down, sliding under the covers. A second later Kat had pulled herself toward him. He wrapped his arms around her and settled in. He had never felt this calm or at peace. Carter closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of just having Kat in his arms.

Carter's eyes eased open and he frowned as he found himself staring at the ceiling of the barracks. His gaze turned to his side and the slumbering Lieutenant Commander on the cot beside his. He just stared at her in the darkness of the room. He'd never had a dream like that one, and it was still so very fresh in his mind. Sure, he had feelings for Kat, but never before had he had a dream of having a family with her, living a life of peace. He shook his head, trying to clear the dream from his mind. He was a soldier, a Spartan, there was no peaceful ending for him. It was just a dream.


	96. 021 Sound

021 Sound

Carter leaned forward on the table, staring down at the screen. He wasn't really reading the text, not that it mattered. All of these reports said the same thing anyway. He was really only reading them for his own education. Still, they were very repetitive, and he'd grown bored. Now he was more focused on the woman beside him, or rather the sounds she was making.

Kat was sitting beside him, reading a recent thesis that someone had written on something. It was something that flew right over Carter's head, but Kat seemed to understand easily. What he was actually focused on was the humming. Kat wasn't aware, but she was humming a light tune as she read. It set Carter at ease and made him happy.

The two of them had been sitting there for hours, just enjoying each other's company. They were both happy just to sit, doing their own thing, while still enjoying the companionship that they offered each other. It was the one thing that had never changed between them. Sure, there had been rough patches in their relationship, friend and otherwise, but no matter what Carter had enjoyed her company. Even when he'd been hurt and frustrated with her, there was something about spending time with her that had helped him get past it.

Carter gave up trying to read the report, content to just stare at the screen while he listened to Kat. Her absent humming was one of his favorite sounds. It wasn't because it was particularly in tune, it wasn't always, or because it was a good song. It was because it was like a signal that they were at peace. She only ever did it in the calm and quiet of a base, when everything was right. He didn't hear it often, and really it didn't even crack his top five of favorite sounds that Kat made.

His fifth favorite sound that she made was when she purred. It had been something he'd discovered on accident, but he'd been glad for. Carter glanced to his side and looked at the woman. His hand reached out running lightly over her back, up toward her neck. He was rewarded as her eyes closed slightly and she pushed toward his hand. His fingers scratched at the back of her neck and she let out a content purring sound. He smiled at the sound enjoying it.

His fourth favorite sound she made was her laugh. There was something so beautiful to him about how she would laugh, usually at him. It was clear and always rang in his ears long after she'd stopped. If he really thought about it he would realize that like the rest of his favorite sounds, it was something she did only when they were at ease. The laugh she sometimes used in the field was shorter and harsher. Carter had always felt it was more forced. It was nice, but didn't stand a change when compared to the one she would use on base.

His third sound he loved from her was how she would say his name. It carried from when they were arguing, and she would say his name with frustration and anger. He loved the way she would say it when she was teasing him, ringing with so much more meaning and echoing all of the different nicknames she's used, or tried to use, over the years. He loved the way she would use his name to convince him of things, or even avoid using his name to show when she was upset. It was really one of the best gauges for her emotions at a time.

His second favorite sound she made was her giggle. He would never really tell her that, because she'd probably hit him if she knew, but he loved it. It was such a girly sound, and he didn't hear many of those from her. She avoided being girly like it was the plague, so something so feminine from her was a wonderful reminder that although she tried to hide it, she was a woman, his woman.

The favorite sound she made was one that no one else had heard but him. It was the sounds that she would make when it was just him, her, and a locked door. They were sounds he could never admit to anyone but himself that he'd ever even heard, or that they even existed. Still, the knowledge that he was what was causing those sounds, that he was the only one to hear them, gave them a special place in his heart. Something only he and Kat knew, or would ever know.

Carter stood up from his seat. In a second his arms were around Kat's waist and he lifted her up. She laughed and he smiled as he checked off number four from his list. "Carter, what are you doing?" He grinned wider as he checked the third off of his list. From the sound of his name she was surprised, but not unhappy with his actions.

"Thought I'd have a little fun." Carter moved them over toward the cot set up in the room so they could be more comfortable. He was determined to check off the rest of his list.


	97. 060 Crush

060 Crush

"I don't see why you let him talk to you like that." Carter scowled as he watched the last of his teammates leave sight. "You are supposed to be his commanding officer, after all."

Kat groaned. "It's not hurting anything. It's just words and he's just got a little crush. He'll get over it and stop eventually." Kat didn't seem at all phased by it, but Carter wasn't as sure.

"Letting that kind of thing go might bite you in the butt. I mean, if you let him talk to you like that then he might not respect you when you are giving him orders." Carter didn't understand how she didn't get this. She's proven to be a smart woman over the time he'd known her so this seemed like it would be obvious.

"That may be how you do it, Carter, but I don't mind my soldiers being a bit loose with me. Not to mention, I'm the second in command. I'm not their leader." Kat let out a long sigh. "I'm able to be more open with them. Besides, letting him flirt with me means that it makes a bond. He's Alpha, I'm Beta, so we need something to break the ice."

"Yes, but comments about how juicy your rear is are not the normal ice breaking conversation." Carter didn't know why this was really annoying him. "He should treat you with more respect."

"It's not that disrespectful. I mean, I find it to be a compliment. One that most people are too scared to give me as I can break most of them in half with ease." Kat smirked a bit at him. "I mean, if Sara walked up to you and told you that you had a cute butt wouldn't you take it as a compliment?"

Carter frowned at the question. "I would remind her that she should stay focused, and that her mind should be on the mission and her training rather than on my rear." His voice was flat and serious as he spoke. "That sort of thing has no place in combat, and we are Spartans. We have to set the proper example."

Kat rubbed at her temples. "Do you ever stop being that way?" Carter frowned in confusion so Kat continued. "Do you ever stop being like you. Serious about everything, always logical. Do you ever just throw that to the wind and do something just because it feels like what you should do?" Carter shook his head. He couldn't remember the last time he did anything just because it felt like he should. "You really need to loosen up."

"I do not, and you need to become stricter. You are Noble Two, meaning that you do lead these soldiers, and I do put you on missions with them where you are in charge. You can't treat them like they are the same rank as you or they will walk all over you." Carter's voice was cold and he was trying his hardest to make it sound like an order without actually giving an order.

"Maybe you should trust them more." Kat stood up and snorted at him. "No wonder Richard said that your team was never really friendly with anyone. It was probably filled with people like you." She moved away from him and Carter groaned. Now she was mad at him again.


	98. 031 Time

031 Time

Kat checked her mission clock for what seemed like the hundredth time. It was taking them too long and too much time had passed. Kat stood with Sara and Jake, waiting for the other half of their team. They were supposed to meet up before they made an assault on the main Covenant forces, but that was five minutes ago.

Kat had to admit she was starting to get worried over where the rest of the team was. She was just about to go out to find them when Richard and Carter slid down into the bunker that the Spartans were hiding in. Tara slid in after them, carrying a collection of heavy weapons with her. Richard and Tara right away went to preparing the weapons while Jake and Sara moved to assist. Kat's focus was elsewhere.

She moved over to Carter who leaned against the wall a bit. "What took you so long?" She looked at him and noticed that he was putting all his weight on his right side. "Are you injured?"

Carter waved it off. "It's a slight burn. We need to focus on the Covenant. Seems they know that we're here. They attacked the storage but we managed to get extra ammunition and several weapons that should help us if they bring any heavy arms." Carter fished around in one of the pouches on his belt. He retrieved several clips of ammunition and handed them to Kat.

She took the bullets, glad for them. She was on the last one for her pistol and she'd need every shot for the upcoming fight. Right now the fight wasn't what was on her mind. "Where were you injured?" She moved to his left side, knowing that was the injured side.

Carter tried to push her away but she persisted. "It's just a burn. We need to focus on the enemy." He was trying to bring her back into order but she wasn't really listening. His right hand went to his hip where the metal was slightly burned and the burn was hidden under the black under-layer.

"The enemy is at least still ten minutes away. We have the time to take care of this, now sit down and let me check it out." Kat pushed him toward a crate that he could sit on. Carter sat down a bit awkwardly so his left hip could be straight and he wouldn't have to bend it. Kat took out her datapad and hooked it up to his armor, checking the bio-data it gave her.

"It's not that bad, Kat. It just hurts, but I'll be fine." Carter frowned at her as she read over the data. "Why are you so worried?"

"You're five minutes late. You've lost blood, didn't even realize that you must have been cut somewhere." Kat moved down his leg until she found where his armor was broken. "You weren't paying attention." She grabbed the medical pack and started to get to work on where there was a bit of blood dripping out of the hole. "Didn't even notice that the pain was all the way down your leg."

Carter's head tilted to the side. "Are you scolding me? You do realize that you aren't my mother, right?" He remained still as she patched up the hole.

"You need to pay more attention. If you do something stupid and get yourself killed, then I have to lead this team." Kat glanced over at the rest of Noble who were fighting over who got to use the rocket launchers. She shook her head and turned back to Carter. "There is no way that I'm doing that."

Kat finished and Carter moved his leg. "That does feel much better." He stood up and Kat followed. "Fine, I'll stay alive and lead Noble, but just so you don't kick my grave every time they annoy you." Carter moved over to the rest of Noble to stop them from fighting and pass out the heavy weapons.

Kat watched him, feeling relieved. She had been so worried over him, and it was odd to her. Sure, she had been worried about him since he was their leader, but there had been something more to it. She knew that she'd been growing closer and closer to him, but these recent emotions, and not to mention the odd dreams she'd had a few times. She'd been wondering exactly what had happened and why her feelings toward him were changing. She'd oddly found her mind focusing more on the past, on what had happened after Brian had been injured, and why she wanted to be closer to him. The teasing activities she used to do just to get information out of him were now activities she was starting to enjoy. She pushed those questions of her growing attraction toward Noble One out of her mind. She'd been worried about him, maybe more than usual, but he had been right, they had enemies arriving. She needed to stay focused.


	99. 081 How?

081 How?

Carter had often found himself asking the question of how. It was always the same question, just in relation to a different situation. The first time he had asked it, he'd been wondering how it was that he was chosen to be the leader of Noble Team, and how the members of the team had been chosen. Carter never came up with an answer for the question. He didn't have access to the information and learned to accept that he never would. He was just grateful for the members of his team.

The second time he'd wondered how he'd managed to get a second-in-command that seemed to have a thing for sticking her nose where it didn't belong and fighting him over plans. Carter realized that it was because of him. He'd chosen Kat to be his Noble Two, he'd chosen to make her his second-in-command when they started. Despite her getting into trouble, and danger, Carter didn't regret his choice. She was the one member of the team he had trusted more than any other. It had been her pushing at the start that led him to find the skilled leader in him.

The third time it had also been in connection with her. He wondered how he had managed to fall in love with his troublesome Lieutenant Commander. He could never figure out why or even when he had grown so attached to the woman. He supposed it had happened gradually over time. Until he'd been confronted with the thought of her being majorly injured, he had been able to pretend it didn't exist, that it wasn't as deep of a bond as it truly was. He hadn't even wanted to admit to himself that it was anything more than friendship. He may not have known how he'd fallen for her but he had to admit that he had.

The fourth time he had asked the question, he felt horrified. How could he have kissed her like that when she obviously didn't feel the same way in return? He'd let his emotions take control and in a moment of irrational action he jeopardized everything that they had. It also brought up the question of how to address the situation with the woman.

It was a long time before he would ask himself the question again. The next time he asked it the question was in relation to what he feared would either be the greatest or the worst event of his life. In one glorious act of pure emotion he and Kat became one. He wasn't sure how she was going to deal with it or, more importantly, how he was going to handle it.

It would only be a little over a week later when he would be asking himself how he'd been so lucky. He'd wonder how lucky he was to have Kat clinging to him. More importantly how had they managed to get things to work? The only one that either of them was any worried about having found out was Emile, and Cater didn't feel that would be a threat.

Kat's hands moved over Carter's neck. Kat broke the kiss, sucking in air while Carter moved to kiss her neck. "Damn Carter, how'd you get so good at this?"

Carter pulled her closer to him. "I've waited for this for so long, can't risk messing up now." He realized that there was no answer to the question of how he had fallen in love with her. The bond between them wasn't something that had any explanation. For once he didn't care at all that he didn't understand something. He was just grateful to have the bond at all.


	100. 097 Afterlife

097 Afterlife

Carter stood by the lake, watching the water lap at the shore. He didn't really know how he had gotten here. The last thing he remembered was being in the pelican, heading toward the scarab. He didn't remember hitting it, but there was no way that he could have made it out of that alive. What was more confusing was where he was. It seemed to be Onyx, but it lacked any of the familiar military buildings, only a small two-story house. The light blue painted wood of the outside was soft against the white trim and deck on the front of the house.

Carter didn't know why but he moved toward the building. He moved up the steps, running a hand over the railings that led up. It was so perfect, like it was out of a dream. It was like an old picture of a house on Earth. The kind that existed outside of big cities and he'd only ever seen in books. It was what he'd always wanted to live in when he was a little kid. He'd thought about living in the same kind of home with Kat, but he knew that could never be.

Carter moved to the door, opening it up. The inside was just as perfect as the outside. The walls were a soft green in the main living room and he moved through, looking over the tan couch that looked so inviting. It was fluffy and looked comfortable, like it was straight out of a magazine. Carter moved on until he reached the kitchen. The blue and white checkered drapes in the window fluttered in the breeze and he moved over to the table. This house was perfect, what he'd always wanted, but it was missing one thing that would make it truly perfect.

Glass hit the ground and Carter turned toward the sound. Standing in the back doorway was exactly who he had just been thinking of. Kat's mouth hung open in surprise. Carter smiled slightly. "Kat."

The female Spartan suddenly became angry. She stormed over to him and her fist hit his shoulder. "What are you doing here?" There wasn't as much anger as he had expected. There was some anger, but it was mixed in with sorrow. "You aren't supposed to be here yet. It's too soon." She pounded her fist against his chest but his arms just wrapped around her waist. He frowned as he spotted the light tears that were running down her cheeks. "You were supposed to live." He pulled her to his chest and she fit perfectly against him, face buried in his chest. "You were supposed to live." The words were muffled as she cried against him.

Carter held her tight to him, trying to calm her down. "You know I couldn't live without you." He smiled as her fist hit him again. "Can't you just be happy that I'm here?"

Kat turned her face so that her cheek was against his chest. "I would be if it didn't mean you didn't make it to the end."

"I made it as far as I could." Carter led her into the living room and they sat down on the couch. "If it helps it turned out you were right. It was more than a torch-and-burn op."

Kat snorted and leaned fully against Carter. "Wish that actually counted for something." She closed her eyes, snuggling against him. "I am glad that you are here, Carter. I missed you. Still don't even know what happened."

"I missed you, Kat. You were taken before you could really tell. Sniper got you from the sky." Carter hesitated for a moment before his hand moved to her stomach. "Kat, why didn't you tell me?"

Kat took a deep breath and shrugged. "I was planning on telling you at a time where we could maybe talk about it before we had to go into combat. We didn't have that when I found out." She sat up and smiled at him. "Would you like to meet her?"

Carter was confused for a moment before it struck him what she was talking about. "Meet her? Our daughter? Yes." Each word was more and more excited.

Kat stood up and pulled Carter with her. She led him up the stair and to a light blue painted room. Cartoon-like pictures of ODST and Spartans looked to be skipping across the walls happily. It seemed odd but Kat much have decorated since she'd been here. He was pulled over to a crib where their sleeping child lay. He looked down at the infant who was slumbering peacefully.

"Carter, this is our daughter, Katy. All the wonders of having a child, none of the unpleasant parts of pregnancy. One good thing about being dead." Kat leaned on the crib, smiling down at the child.

"Katy? You named her without me?" He moved behind her and wrapped his arms around Kat's waist, looking over her shoulder at the child.

"First, you weren't her and she needed a name. Second, Katy is a special name. Katy was my best friend in Beta, and died saving my life." Kat turned around in Carter's arms. "You got a problem with that?"

Carter shook his head. "No, that sounds like two great reasons to name her Katy, without me. Honestly I never had any good ideas for girl names." He rested his forehead against hers. "This is perfect, Kat."

"It is now that we're all here. Still wish you would have made it further." She frowned a bit. "Hoped you'd be able to tell me if the war ended and humans survived."

Carter shook his head. "I don't care about that. I have you. I have Katy. That's all that matters to me." Kat was going to protest but he leaned down, bringing their lips together. As he pulled away he didn't move to far away. "Let the living worry about the war. We have all eternity to be together."

Kat chuckled slightly. "Well put." She pulled him back toward her, letting herself enjoy that there was no longer anything standing in their way. They could be together, happy, a family, and nothing could stop them.

End~

Note: Well, that's the end of Noble pair. I want thank everyone that supported me and commented on these pieces. I want to thank Aqua, who was the first person to comment on my story. I'd also like to thank Adrine R.227 who was a very, very loyal reviewer. Thank you all for giving me over 200 reviews for this story. I'm so happy to see people enjoying this. This isn't the end of my Carter/Kat stories. There will be more, but I'll be posting them under my other story, Spartan Love. Is there something you didn't get to see here in Noble Pair? Make a request under Spartan Love for what you'd like to see. There will be at least like three or four Carter/Kat pieces being released in that series already that I'm sure you'll enjoy. There might be one last chapter to this story, namely a list of the prompts in chronological order since people seemed to want to have that. Thank you all again, and I hope you enjoyed Noble Pair.


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